Sample records for localization parameter energy

While global order parameters have been widely used as reaction coordinates in nucleation and crystallization studies, their use in nucleation studies is claimed to have a serious drawback. In this work, a local order parameter is introduced as a local reaction coordinate to drive the simulation from the liquid phase to the solid phase and vice versa. This local order parameter holds information regarding the order in the first- and second-shell neighbors of a particle and has different well-defined values for local crystallites and disordered neighborhoods but is insensitive to the type of the crystal structure. The order parameter is employed in metadynamics simulations to calculate the solid-liquid phase equilibria and free energy barrier to nucleation. Our results for repulsive soft spheres and the Lennard-Jones potential, LJ(12-6), reveal better-resolved solid and liquid basins compared with the case in which a global order parameter is used. It is also shown that the configuration space is sampled more efficiently in the present method, allowing a more accurate calculation of the free energy barrier and the solid-liquid interfacial free energy. Another feature of the present local order parameter-based method is that it is possible to apply the bias potential to regions of interest in the order parameter space, for example, on the largest nucleus in the case of nucleation studies. In the present scheme for metadynamics simulation of the nucleation in supercooled LJ(12-6) particles, unlike the cases in which global order parameters are employed, there is no need to have an estimate of the size of the critical nucleus and to refine the results with the results of umbrella sampling simulations. The barrier heights and the nucleation pathway obtained from this method agree very well with the results of former umbrella sampling simulations.

In Landau theory of Fermi liquids, the particle-hole interaction near the Fermi energy in different spin-isospin channels is probed in terms of an expansion over the Legendre polynomials. This provides a useful and efficient way to constrain properties of nuclear energy density functionals in symmetric nuclear matter and finite nuclei. In this study, we present general expressions for Landau parameters corresponding to a two-body central local regularized pseudopotential. We also show results obtained for two recently adjusted NLO and N$^2$LO parametrizations. Such pseudopotentials will be used to determine mean-field and beyond-mean-field properties of paired nuclei across the entire nuclear chart.

Neutral hydrogen atoms that travel into the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium (LISM) experience strong effects due to charge exchange and radiation pressure from resonant absorption and re-emission of Lyα. The radiation pressure roughly compensates for the solar gravity. As a result, interstellar hydrogen atoms move along trajectories that are quite different than those of heavier interstellar species such as helium and oxygen, which experience relatively weak radiation pressure. Charge exchange leads to the loss of primary neutrals from the LISM and the addition of new secondary neutrals from the heliosheath. IBEX observations show clear effects of radiation pressure in a large longitudinal shift in the peak of interstellar hydrogen compared with that of interstellar helium. Here, we compare results from the Lee et al. interstellar neutral model with IBEX-Lo hydrogen observations to describe the distribution of hydrogen near 1 AU and provide new estimates of the solar radiation pressure. We find over the period analyzed from 2009 to 2011 that radiation pressure divided by the gravitational force (μ) has increased slightly from μ = 0.94 ± 0.04 in 2009 to μ = 1.01 ± 0.05 in 2011. We have also derived the speed, temperature, source longitude, and latitude of the neutral H atoms and find that these parameters are roughly consistent with those of interstellar He, particularly when considering the filtration effects that act on H in the outer heliosheath. Thus, our analysis shows that over the period from 2009 to 2011, we observe signatures of neutral H consistent with the primary distribution of atoms from the LISM and a radiation pressure that increases in the early rise of solar activity.

It is now a common practice to use local magnetic parameters such as magnetic decay index for explaining solar eruptions from active regions, but there can be an alternative view that the global properties of the source region should be counted as a more important factor. We discuss this issue based on Solar Dynamics Observatory observations of the three successive eruptions within 1.5 hr from the NOAA active region 11444 and the magnetic parameters calculated using the nonlinear force-free field model. Two violent eruptions occurred in the regions with relatively high magnetic twist number (0.5-1.5) and high decay index (0.9-1.1) at the nominal height of the filament (12″) and otherwise a mild eruption occurred, which supports the local-parameter paradigm. Our main point is that the time sequence of the eruptions did not go with these parameters. It is argued that an additional factor, in the form of stabilizing force, should operate to determine the onset of the first eruption and temporal behaviors of subsequent eruptions. As supporting evidence, we report that the heating and fast plasma flow continuing for a timescale of an hour was the direct cause for the first eruption and that the unidirectional propagation of the disturbance determined the timing of subsequent eruptions. Both of these factors are associated with the overall magnetic structure rather than local magnetic properties of the active region.

Significant benefits are connected with an increase in the flexibility of the Danish energy system. On the one hand, it is possible to benefit from trading electricity with neighbouring countries, and on the other, Denmark will be able to make better use of wind power and other types of renewable...... energy in the future. This paper presents the analysis of different ways of increasing flexibility in the Danish energy system by the use of local regulation mechanisms. This strategy is compared with the opposite extreme, i.e. trying to solve all balancing problems via electricity trade...

The Anderson metal-insulator transition is well known to display many similarities to standard critical phenomena, yet an obvious order parameter has remained difficult to find. In this work, we demonstrate that a relevant local order parameter can be defined and self-consistently determined, providing a simple and physically transparent picture of the Anderson transition. Our formulation proceeds in close analogy with the well-known coherent potential approximation (CPA), with a small but crucial difference. Our theory self-consistently calculates not the average but instead the typical local density of states, which serves as the order parameter, and is found to vanish at the Anderson transition. As a result, we show that both the escape rate of an electron from a given site, and the conductivity vanish in the insulating phase, which emerges for disorder strengths comparable to the electronic bandwidth. Due to the local character of our theory, it can easily be combined with standard dynamical mean-field approaches for strong electronic correlations, thus opening an attractive avenue for the study of the interplay (A. A. Pastor and V. Dobrosavljevic, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83), 4642 (1999) ( V. Dobrosavljevic and G. Kotliar, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78), 3943 (1997) of interaction and disorder.

We present connections between global and localparameters in a realistic dynamical model, describing motion in a barred galaxy. Expanding the global model in the vicinity of a stable Lagrange point, we find the potential of a two-dimensional perturbed harmonic oscillator, which describes local motion near the centre of the global model. The frequencies of oscillations and the coefficients of the perturbing terms are not arbitrary but are connected to the mass, the angular rotation velocity, the scale length and the strength of the galactic bar. The localenergy is also connected to the global energy. A comparison of the properties of orbits in the global and local potential is also made.

Energy independence based on renewable resources has become an important goal for communities around the world. A number of local governments have either achieved such self-sufficiency based on energy autonomy strategies or are pursuing the goal as a determined planning target. This sets an important precedent for others to also consider transforming their conventional energy systems to one based on local renewable energy. While energy models can determine a local area's technical capacity fo...

The crystal field energy levels (obtained from optical spectra) together with the spin-Hamiltonian parameters g//, g⊥ and D (obtained from EPR spectra) for 3d3 ions Cr3+ and Mn4+ at the trigonal octahedral Ga3+ sites in La3Ga5SiO14 crystals are computed from the complete diagonalization (of energy matrix) method based on the two-spin-orbit-parameter model. The model takes into account the contributions due to the spin-orbit parameter of central dn ion (in the traditional crystal field theory) and that of ligand ions via covalence effect. The calculated results are in rational accord with the experimental values. The calculations also imply that the covalence of (MnO6)8- center in La3Ga5SiO14 crystals is stronger than that of (CrO6)9- center, and the impurity-induced local lattice relaxation for (MnO6)8- center is larger than that for (CrO6)9- cluster because of the larger size and charge mismatch for Mn4+ replacing Ga3+ in La3Ga5SiO14 crystals.

The statefinder parameters ($r,s$) in two dark energy models are studied. In the first, we discuss in four-dimensional General Relativity a two fluid model, in which dark energy and dark matter are allowed to interact with each other. In the second model, we consider the DGP brane model generalized by taking a possible energy exchange between the brane and the bulk into account. We determine the values of the statefinder parameters that correspond to the unique attractor of the system at hand. Furthermore, we produce plots in which we show $s,r$ as functions of red-shift, and the ($s-r$) plane for each model.

We use Hubble parameter versus redshift data from Stern et al. (2010) and Gaztanaga et al. (2009) to place constraints on model parameters of constant and time-evolving dark energy cosmological models. These constraints are consistent with (through not as restrictive as) those derived from supernova Type Ia magnitude-redshift data. However, they are more restrictive than those derived from galaxy cluster angular diameter distance, and comparable with those from gamma-ray burst and lookback time data. A joint analysis of the Hubble parameter data with more restrictive baryon acoustic oscillation peak length scale and supernova Type Ia apparent magnitude data favors a spatially-flat cosmological model currently dominated by a time-independent cosmological constant but does not exclude time-varying dark energy.

Energy companies, municipalities, property companies, firms of consultants, environmental groups and individuals are examples of players working locally to shape environmentally adapted energy systems. These players have needed information making them better able to make decisions on cost-efficient, environmentally-adapted energy systems. This book answers many of the questions they have put. The volume is mainly based on Swedish handbooks produced by the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development, NUTEK, together with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. These handbooks have been used in conjunction with municipal energy planning, local Agenda 21 work, to provide a basis for deciding on concrete localenergy systems. The contents in brief: -The book throws new light on the concept of energy efficiency; -A section on the environment compares how air-polluting emissions vary with different methods of energy production; -A section contains more than 40 ideas for measures which can be profitable, reduce energy consumption and the impact on the environment all at the same time; -The book gives concrete examples of new, alternative and environmentally-adapted localenergy systems. More efficient use of energy is included as a possible change of energy system; -The greatest emphasis is laid upon alternative energy systems for heating. It may be heating in a house, block of flats, office building or school; -Finally, there are examples of environmentally-adapted localenergy planning.

An N-parameter Gaussian stationary process X = { X ( t ): t ∈ RN+ } is introduced and the existence and joint continuity of its local times is presented. And the moments of local times are estimated. Furthermore moduli of continuity and large increment results for the local times are established.

The local kinetic energy and the closely related local electronic stress tensor are commonly used to elucidate chemical bonding patterns, especially for covalent bonds. We use three different approaches-transformation properties of the stress tensor, quasiprobability distributions, and the virial theorem from density-functional theory-to clarify the inherent ambiguity in these quantities, discussing the implications for analyses based on the local kinetic energy and stress tensor. An expansive-but not universal-family of local kinetic energy forms that includes the most common choices and is suitable for both chemical-bonding and atoms-in-molecule analysis is derived. A family of local electronic stress tensors is also derived. Several local kinetic energy functions that are mathematically justified, but unlikely to be conceptually useful, are derived. The implications of these forms for atoms-in-molecule analysis are discussed.

green energy policy should be introduced in order to secure both public and political acceptance. Local markets should be established in order to secure the technical integration of a large proportion of wind power and other fluctuating renewable energy sources into the energy system....... green energy technology cluster was established. During the second phase, new difficulties and challenges have arisen, both with regard to local public acceptance and the need for integrating an increasing percentage of fluctuating energy sources into the energy system. In this Phase 2, a new offensive...

A device for absorbing and storing short duration impulses in an initially uncompressed one-dimensional granular chain is presented. Simply stated, short regions of sufficiently soft grains are embedded in a hard granular chain. These grains exhibit long-lived standing waves of predictable frequencies regardless of the timing of the arrival of solitary waves from the larger matrix. We explore the origins, symmetry, and energy content of the soft region and its intrinsic modes.

Digitized images can be used for quantitative comparison of biofilms grown under different conditions. Using biofilm image reconstruction, it was previously found that biofilms with a completely different look can have nearly identical structural parameters and that the most commonly utilized global structural parameters were not sufficient to uniquely define these biofilms. Here, additional local and global parameters are introduced to show that these parameters considerably increase the reliability of the image reconstruction process. Assessment using human evaluators indicated that the correct identification rate of the reconstructed images increased from 50% to 72% with the introduction of the new parameters into the reconstruction procedure. An expanded set of parameters especially improved the identification of biofilm structures with internal orientational features and of structures in which colony sizes and spatial locations varied. Hence, the newly introduced structural parameter sets helped to better classify the biofilms by incorporating finer local structural details into the reconstruction process.

The paper argues that a new offensive green energy policy should be established in Denmark both securing public and political acceptance, and the establishment of local markets securing the technical integration of a large proportion of windpower and other fluctuating renewable energy sources...... into the energy system....

Piecewise quartic polynomial curves with a local shape parameter are presented in this paper. The given blending function is an extension of the cubic uniform B-splines. The changes of a local shape parameter will only change two curve segments. With the increase of the value of a shape parameter, the curves approach a corresponding control point. The given curves possess satisfying shape-preserving properties. The given curve can also be used to interpolate locally the control points with GC2 continuity. Thus, the given curves unify the representation of the curves for interpolating and approximating the control polygon. As an application, the piecewise polynomial curves can intersect an ellipse at different knot values by choosing the value of the shape parameter. The given curve can approximate an ellipse from the both sides and can then yield a tight envelope for an ellipse. Some computing examples for curve design are given.

We use 21 Hubble parameter versus redshift data points from Simon et al., Gaztanaga et al., Stern et al., and Moresco et al. to place constraints on model parameters of constant and time-evolving dark energy cosmologies. The inclusion of the eight new measurements results in H(z) constraints more restrictive than those derived by Chen and Ratra. These constraints are now almost as restrictive as those that follow from current Type Ia supernova (SNIa) apparent magnitude versus redshift data, which now more carefully account for systematic uncertainties. This is a remarkable result. We emphasize, however, that SNIa data have been studied for a longer time than the H(z) data, possibly resulting in a better estimate of potential systematic errors in the SNIa case. A joint analysis of the H(z), baryon acoustic oscillation peak length scale, and SNIa data favors a spatially flat cosmological model currently dominated by a time-independent cosmological constant but does not exclude slowly evolving dark energy.

The local Casimir energy density for a massless scalar field associated with step-function potentials in a 3+1 dimensional spherical geometry is considered. The potential is chosen to be zero except in an annulus of thickness $\\delta$, where it has height $h$, $h\\delta=1$. In the limit of zero thickness, an ideal $\\delta$-function shell is recovered. The behavior of the energy density as the surface of the annulus is approached is studied in both the strong and weak coupling regimes. The former case corresponds to the well-known Dirichlet shell limit. New results, which shed light on the nature of surface divergences and on the energy contained within the annulus, are obtained in the weak coupling limit. In that case, the energy has a contribution not only from the localenergy density, but from an energy term residing entirely on the surface. It is shown that the latter coincides with the integrated localenergy density within the annulus. We also study the dependence of local and global quantities on the co...

An energy functional for orbital based $O(N)$ calculations is proposed, which depends on a number of non orthogonal, localized orbitals larger than the number of occupied states in the system, and on a parameter, the electronic chemical potential, determining the number of electrons. We show that the minimization of the functional with respect to overlapping localized orbitals can be performed so as to attain directly the ground state energy, without being trapped at local minima. The present approach overcomes the multiple minima problem present within the original formulation of orbital based $O(N)$ methods; it therefore makes it possible to perform $O(N)$ calculations for an arbitrary system, without including any information about the system bonding properties in the construction of the input wavefunctions. Furthermore, while retaining the same computational cost as the original approach, our formulation allows one to improve the variational estimate of the ground state energy, and the energy conservation...

We use 21 Hubble parameter versus redshift data points, from Gazta\\~{n}aga et al. (2009), Stern et al. (2010), and Moresco et al. (2012), to place constraints on model parameters of constant and time-evolving dark energy cosmologies. This is the largest set of H(z) data considered to date. The inclusion of the 8 new Moresco et al. (2012) measurements results in H(z) constraints more restrictive than those derived by Chen & Ratra (2011b). These constraints are now almost as restrictive as those that follow from current Type Ia supernova (SNIa) apparent magnitude versus redshift data (Suzuki et al. 2012), which now more carefully account for systematic uncertainties. This is a remarkable result. We emphasize however that SNIa data have been studied for a longer time than the H(z) data, possibly resulting in a better estimate of potential systematic errors in the SNIa case. A joint analysis of the H(z), baryon acoustic oscillation peak length scale, and SNIa data favors a spatially-flat cosmological model cu...

In 2005, SenterNovem, the Dutch Broadcasting Corporation, a publishing company and a consortium of local authorities launched 'Energy Survival'; a renewing energy marketing strategy for children to create a demand for localenergy actions. New elements are powerful branding and the use of cross media techniques through national TV, internet, local events and primary education. Through entertainment, Energy Survival influences children's attitude towards energy consumption and its convincing relation with the environment. It aims at qualifying children to become 'energy ambassadors' in their own local environment: family, school and neighbourhood. Energy Survival has become a well tested energy game-concept for children in whom public and private partners cooperate under one brand name and with a clear division of roles and interests. However, the backbone of the concept is the local approach: local actions in municipalities and in primary schools, supported by television and internet where children learn to deal with the upcoming energy challenges of the planet they will inherit. By providing an internet-based teaching method, especially primary schools will be an effective multiplier to reach children. Broadcasting the energy game on national TV on the one hand, and local events and preliminaries on the other hand, ensure opportunities for widespread 'duplication' of the concept, adapted to local policy priorities regarding sustainable energy because each municipality is permitted to choose its own themes. Despite the fact that the project is still young and that the partners consider it as a 'long term-investment', the first independent monitoring results indicate that Energy Survival so far is quite successful. Ratings of the first TV-series show a national market share of 20 % in the age group 6-12 years and significantly more interaction between children and their parents on energy related issues. The website

We discuss the spontaneous localization of vibrational energy in translationally invariant anharmonic chains at finite temperatures. In addition to the familiar energy-driven coherent mechanisms, which are rapidly degraded by thermal fluctuations, we identify the entropy-driven phenomenon we call {open_quotes}stochastic localization{close_quotes}, within which we include a number of characteristics of soft anharmonic oscillators in thermal equilibrium. Principal among these are a tendency for soft oscillators to spend more time at higher energies than comparable harmonic oscillators, and for high-energy fluctuations in soft oscillators to persist for longer times than lower-energy fluctuations, leading to a tendency for energy fluctuations to be organized into {open_quotes}bursts{close_quotes} separated by intervals of relative quiet. We illustrate the effects of stochastic localization on a bistable impurity embedded in a chain of soft oscillators by comparing it to an impurity embedded in a harmonic chain. Effects on transition rates at a given system energy can be quite dramatic.

The local Casimir energy density and the global Casimir energy for a massless scalar field associated with a $\\lambda\\delta$-function potential in a 3+1 dimensional circular cylindrical geometry are considered. The global energy is examined for both weak and strong coupling, the latter being the well-studied Dirichlet cylinder case. For weak-coupling,in $\\mathcal{O}(\\lambda^2)$, the total energy is shown to vanish by both analytic and numerical arguments, based both on Green's-function and zeta-function techniques. Divergences occurring in the calculation are shown to be absorbable by renormalization of physical parameters of the model. The global energy may be obtained by integrating the localenergy density only when the latter is supplemented by an energy term residing precisely on the surface of the cylinder. The latter is identified as the integrated localenergy density of the cylindrical shell when the latter is physically expanded to have finite thickness. Inside and outside the shell, the local energ...

International audience; This poster addresses the tradeoff between energy consumption and localization performance in a mobile sensor network application. It focuses on combining GPS location with more energy-efficient location sensors to bound position estimate uncertainty in order to prolong node lifetime. The focus is on an outdoor location monitoring application for tracking cattle using smart collars that contain wireless sensor nodes and GPS modules. We use empirically-derived models to...

Localization of energy in oscillator arrays has been of interest for a number of years, with special attention paid to the role of nonlinearity and discreteness in the formation of localized structures. This work examines a different type of energylocalization arising due to the presence of dissipation in nonlinear resonance arrays. As a basic model, we consider a Klein-Gordon chain of finite length subjected to a harmonic excitation applied at an edge of the chain. It is shown that weak dissipation may be a key factor preventing the emergence of resonance in the entire chain, even if its nondissipative analog is entirely captured into resonance. The resulting process in the dissipative oscillator array represents large-amplitude resonant oscillations in a part of the chain adjacent to the actuator and small-amplitude oscillations in the distant part of the chain. The conditions of the emergence of resonance as well as the conditions of energylocalization are derived. An agreement between the obtained analytical results and numerical simulations is demonstrated.

A procedure has been developed that determines local measurements of transport parameters`s profiles for injected impurities. The measured profiles extend from the plasma centre up to a certain radial position (usually {rho} = 0.6-0.7). In the outer region of the plasma the procedure supplies ``most suitable extensions`` up to the plasma edge of the measured transport profiles. The procedure intrinsically assures consistency and excellent agreement between the simulated and experimental data of local broad band soft X-ray emissivity and intensities of individual emission lines from different ion states of the injected impurities. 4 refs., 3 figs.

The unexpected discovery of the accelerated cosmic expansion in 1998 has filled the Universe with the embarrassing presence of an unidentified "dark energy", or cosmological constant, devoid of any physical meaning. While this standard cosmology seems to work well at the global level, improved knowledge of the kinematics and other properties of our extragalactic neighborhood indicates the need for a better theory. We investigate whether the recently suggested repulsive-gravity scenario can account for some of the features that are unexplained by the standard model. Through simple dynamical considerations, we find that the Local Void could host an amount of antimatter (˜5×1015 M ⊙) roughly equivalent to the mass of a typical supercluster, thus restoring the matter-antimatter symmetry. The antigravity field produced by this "dark repulsor" can explain the anomalous motion of the Local Sheet away from the Local Void, as well as several other properties of nearby galaxies that seem to require void evacuation and structure formation much faster than expected from the standard model. At the global cosmological level, gravitational repulsion from antimatter hidden in voids can provide more than enough potential energy to drive both the cosmic expansion and its acceleration, with no need for an initial "explosion" and dark energy. Moreover, the discrete distribution of these dark repulsors, in contrast to the uniformly permeating dark energy, can also explain dark flows and other recently observed excessive inhomogeneities and anisotropies of the Universe.

This paper shows that the recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm with forgetting factor is a special case of a varying-coe\\$cient model, and a model which can easily be estimated via simple local regression. This observation allows us to formulate a new method which retains the RLS algorithm, bu......, but extends the algorithm by including polynomial approximations. Simulation results are provided, which indicates that this new method is superior to the classical RLS method, if the parameter variations are smooth....

The unexpected discovery of the accelerated cosmic expansion in 1998 has filled the Universe with the embarrassing presence of an unidentified "dark energy", or cosmological constant, devoid of any physical meaning. While this standard cosmology seems to work well at the global level, improved knowledge of the kinematics and other properties of our extragalactic neighborhood indicates the need for a better theory. We investigate whether the recently suggested repulsive-gravity scenario can account for some of the features that are unexplained by the standard model. Through simple dynamical considerations, we find that the Local Void could host an amount of antimatter ($\\sim5\\times10^{15}\\,M_\\odot$) roughly equivalent to the mass of a typical supercluster, thus restoring the matter-antimatter symmetry. The antigravity field produced by this "dark repulsor" can explain the anomalous motion of the Local Sheet away from the Local Void, as well as several other properties of nearby galaxies that seem to require vo...

The linearity and quietness of the Local ($< 10 Mpc$) Hubble Flow (LHF) in view of the very clumpy local universe is a long standing puzzle in standard and in open CDM cosmogony. The question addressed in this paper is whether the antigravity component of the recently discovered dark energy can cool the velocity flow enough to provide a solution to this puzzle. We calculate the growth of matter fluctuations in a flat universe containing a fraction $\\Omega_X(t_0)$ of dark energy obeying the time independent equation of state $p_X = w \\rho_X$. We find that dark energy can indeed cool the LHF. However the dark energyparameter values required to make the predicted velocity dispersion consistent with the observed value $v_{rms}\\simeq 40km/sec$ have been ruled out by other observational tests constraining the dark energyparameters $w$ and $\\Omega_X$. Therefore despite the claims of recent qualitative studies dark energy with time independent equation of state can not by itself explain the quietness and lineari...

Nonclassical states of light play a central role in many quantum information protocols. Very recently, their quantum features have been exploited to improve the readout of information from digital memories, modeled as arrays of microscopic beam splitters [S. Pirandola, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 090504 (2011)]. In this model of "quantum reading", a nonclassical source of light with Einstein-Podolski-Rosen correlations has been proven to retrieve more information than any classical source. In particular, the quantum-classical comparison has been performed under a global energy constraint, i.e., by fixing the mean total number of photons irradiated over each memory cell. In this paper we provide an alternative analysis which is based on a localenergy constraint, meaning that we fix the mean number of photons per signal mode irradiated over the memory cell. Under this assumption, we investigate the critical number of signal modes after which a nonclassical source of light is able to beat any classical source irradia...

Full Text Available This paper proposes a localized recursive estimation scheme for parameter estimation in wireless sensor networks. Given any parameter of a target occurring at some location and time, a number of sensors recursively estimate the parameter by using their local measurements of the parameter that is attenuated with the distance between a sensor and the target location and corrupted by noise. Compared with centralized estimation schemes that transmit all encoded measurements to a sink (or a fusion center, the recursive scheme needs only to transmit the final estimate to a sink. When the sink is faraway from the sensors and multihop communications have to be used, using localized recursive estimation can help to reduce energy consumption and reduce network traffic load. A sensor sequence with the fastest convergence rate is identified, by which the variance of estimation error reduces faster than all other sequences. In the case of adjustable transmission power, a heuristic has been proposed to find a sensor sequence with the minimum total transmission power when performing the recursive estimation. Numerical examples have been used to compare the performance of the proposed scheme with that of a centralized estimation scheme and have also shown the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic.

In the framework of the SAVE program, the European Commission brings financial assistance to the creation of local or regional agencies of energy control in municipalities and regions. The main criteria are the impacts on the energy demand, the reinforcement of the economic and social cohesion, the environmental quality and the contribution to the economic development and the employment creation. In this document, realized by Energie-Cites, the Ademe objective is to present a state of the art of french local agencies. Ten agencies are presented as case study. Each case deals with the following topics: the main context of the action which details the energy and the environmental policy of the municipality, the creation and the description of the agency, the implemented actions and the perspectives. (A.L.B.)

Although the vast majority of renewable energies projects are established by commercial developers, some of them are financed by ''ordinary citizens'' pooling together through different schemes. This is particularly frequent in Denmark and Germany, possibly a key reason for the continuous and so successful growth of various renewable energies sources in these countries. This guideline aims to define the term of local investment and provides examples of development and recommendations. (A.L.B.)

We perform the most accurate study to date of the dependence on cosmological parameters of structure formation with local cosmic strings. The crucial new ingredients are the inclusion of the effects of gravitational backreaction on the evolution of the network, and the accurate evolution of the network through the radiation to matter transition. Our work re-iterates the fact that expanding Universe numerical simulations only probe a transient regime, and we incorporate our results into the unequal time correlators recently measured. We then compute the CMB and CDM fluctuations' power spectra for various values of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and baryon fraction $\\Omega_b$. We find that, whereas the dependence on $\\Omega_b$ is negligible, there is still a strong dependence on $H_0$.

We report on the binding energy and dephasing of localized biexciton states in narrow ZnSe multiple quantum wells. The measured binding-energy distribution of the localized biexcitons shows a width of 2.2 meV centered at 8.5 meV, and is fairly independent of the exciton localizationenergy. In four...

Nonclassical states of light play a central role in many quantum information protocols. Very recently, their quantum features have been exploited to improve the readout of information from digital memories, modeled as arrays of microscopic beam splitters [Pirandola, Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.106.090504 106, 090504 (2011)]. In this model of “quantum reading,” a nonclassical source of light with Einstein-Podolski-Rosen correlations has been proven to retrieve more information than any classical source. In particular, the quantum-classical comparison has been performed under a global energy constraint, i.e., by fixing the mean total number of photons irradiated over each memory cell. In this paper we provide an alternative analysis which is based on a localenergy constraint, meaning that we fix the mean number of photons per signal mode irradiated over the memory cell. Under this assumption, we investigate the critical number of signal modes after which a nonclassical source of light is able to beat any classical source irradiating the same number of signals.

Full Text Available The paper describes basic principles of a radio-based indoor localization and focuses on the improvement of its results with the aid of a new Bluetooth Low Energy technology. The advantage of this technology lies in its support by contemporary mobile devices, especially by smartphones and tablets. We have implemented a distributed system for collecting radio fingerprints by mobile devices with the Android operating system. This system enables volunteers to create radio-maps and update them continuously. New Bluetooth Low Energy transmitters (Apple uses its “iBeacon” brand name for these devices have been installed on the floor of the building in addition to existing WiFi access points. The localization of stationary objects based on WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, and their combination has been evaluated using the data measured during the experiment in the building. Several configurations of the transmitters’ arrangement, several ways of combination of the data from both technologies, and other parameters influencing the accuracy of the stationary localization have been tested.

These proceedings present some European testimonies about the advantage of local investment, illustrated with concrete cases taken in Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. They demonstrate that local investment in renewable energy sources is a reality and that this practice has indisputably contributed to their significant development in some countries of the European Union. The sustain of foreign banks to the financing of renewable energy sources is at the evidence an example to follow up in countries like France, Greece or Spain. Important efforts have to be made to simplify and encourage the implementation of projects, in particular from the administrative point of view. Beyond the financial aspects, the colloquium has shown that these practices of citizenship involvement represent an important factor of social adaptation and acceptation. The projects, gathering local actors but also the overall citizens through common investment funds, ensure a better territorial anchoring and a sustain to local and sustainable development. This document has been published with the support of the European Commission and ADEME (French Agency for Environment and Energy Management). (J.S.)

This paper presents the projects developed in the framework of the energy policy in ten french local authorities. The photovoltaic power, the geothermal energy, the biomass and the wind energy are used. (A.L.B.)

This document presents european examples on the interest of the local investment, illustrated by cases studies in Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. Two main points were discussed: the financial tools and the french strategy. The colloquium provided many discussions and analyzes on the possibility of significant contribution to the collective efforts in favor of the public involvement in the renewable energies development in Europe. (A.L.B.)

We investigate quasi-localenergy distribution and thermodynamics of the Reissner-Nordstrom black hole space-time surrounded by quintessence.We use the quasi-localenergy distribution from Einstein energy-momentum complex.We plot the variation of the energies, temperature and heat capacity with the state parameter related to the quintessence ωq.We show that due to the presence of quintessence, the total energy of the outer region as well as the temperature and heat capacity decreases with the increase of the density of quintessence, while the total energy of the black hole region increases.

Localization is a key technology in wireless sensor networks. Faced with the challenges of the sensors' memory, computational constraints, and limited energy, particle swarm optimization has been widely applied in the localization of wireless sensor networks, demonstrating better performance than other optimization methods. In particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms, the variants and parameters should be chosen elaborately to achieve the best performance. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to choose these variants and parameters. Further, there is no comprehensive performance comparison among particle swarm optimization algorithms. The main contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, it surveys the popular particle swarm optimization variants and particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms for wireless sensor networks. Secondly, it presents parameter selection of nine particle swarm optimization variants and six types of swarm topologies by extensive simulations. Thirdly, it comprehensively compares the performance of these algorithms. The results show that the particle swarm optimization with constriction coefficient using ring topology outperforms other variants and swarm topologies, and it performs better than the second-order cone programming algorithm.

Full Text Available Localization is a key technology in wireless sensor networks. Faced with the challenges of the sensors’ memory, computational constraints, and limited energy, particle swarm optimization has been widely applied in the localization of wireless sensor networks, demonstrating better performance than other optimization methods. In particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms, the variants and parameters should be chosen elaborately to achieve the best performance. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to choose these variants and parameters. Further, there is no comprehensive performance comparison among particle swarm optimization algorithms. The main contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, it surveys the popular particle swarm optimization variants and particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms for wireless sensor networks. Secondly, it presents parameter selection of nine particle swarm optimization variants and six types of swarm topologies by extensive simulations. Thirdly, it comprehensively compares the performance of these algorithms. The results show that the particle swarm optimization with constriction coefficient using ring topology outperforms other variants and swarm topologies, and it performs better than the second-order cone programming algorithm.

Localization is a key technology in wireless sensor networks. Faced with the challenges of the sensors’ memory, computational constraints, and limited energy, particle swarm optimization has been widely applied in the localization of wireless sensor networks, demonstrating better performance than other optimization methods. In particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms, the variants and parameters should be chosen elaborately to achieve the best performance. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to choose these variants and parameters. Further, there is no comprehensive performance comparison among particle swarm optimization algorithms. The main contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, it surveys the popular particle swarm optimization variants and particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms for wireless sensor networks. Secondly, it presents parameter selection of nine particle swarm optimization variants and six types of swarm topologies by extensive simulations. Thirdly, it comprehensively compares the performance of these algorithms. The results show that the particle swarm optimization with constriction coefficient using ring topology outperforms other variants and swarm topologies, and it performs better than the second-order cone programming algorithm. PMID:28257060

In this paper Excel VBA is used for batch calculation in Local Singularity Analysis (LSA), which is for the information extracting from different kinds of geoscience data. Capabilities and advantages of a new module called Batch Tool for Local Singularity Index Mapping (BTLSIM) are: (1) batch production of series of local singularity maps with different settings of local window size, shape and orientation parameters; (2) localparameter optimization based on statistical tests; and (3) provision of extra output layers describing how spatial changes induced by parameter optimization are related to spatial structure of the original input layers.

The transformation from the current energy system to a decentralized renewable energy system requires the transformation of communities into energy neutral or even energy producing communities. Increasingly, citizens become 'prosumers' and pool their resources to start a localenergy initiative. In

The present work follows our previous study dealing with a new type of synchronization in a system of two weakly coupled generalized van der Pol-Duffing autogenerators. The essence of the effect revealed is that the synchronized oscillations are not stationary but accompanied by the most intensive energy exchange between the oscillators. The phase shift between the generators remains constant most of the time, except for vanishingly small transitional intervals. The current analysis deals with a generalized model in order to clarify the frequency detuning effect. We found that varying the frequency detuning, nonlinearity, and dissipation parameters can lead to structural changes in phase diagrams of the energy exchange dynamics, with important transitions from the intensive energy exchange to its localization on one of the two oscillators. The main conclusion is that stationary and nonstationary synchronizations associate with nonlinear normal and local modes, respectively. The analysis uses phase plane diagrams, including the concept of limiting phase trajectories, whose role in nonstationary synchronization appears to be similar to the role of nonlinear normal modes in conventional stationary states.

In image denoising algorithms, the noise is handled by either modifying term-by-term, i.e., individual pixels or block-by-block, i.e., group of pixels, using suitable shrinkage factor and threshold function. The shrinkage factor is generally a function of threshold and some other characteristics of the neighbouring pixels of the pixel to be thresholded (denoised). The threshold is determined in terms of the noise variance present in the image and its size. The VisuShrink, SureShrink, and NeighShrink methods are important denoising methods that provide good results. The first two, i.e., VisuShrink and SureShrink methods follow term-by-term approach, i.e., modify the individual pixel and the third one, i.e., NeighShrink and its variants: ModiNeighShrink, IIDMWD, and IAWDMBMC, follow block-by-block approach, i.e., modify the pixels in groups, in order to remove the noise. The VisuShrink, SureShrink, and NeighShrink methods however do not give very good visual quality because they remove too many coefficients due to their high threshold values. In this paper, we propose an image denoising method that uses the localparameters of the neighbouring coefficients of the pixel to be denoised in the noisy image. In our method, we propose two new shrinkage factors and the threshold at each decomposition level, which lead to better visual quality. We also establish the relationship between both the shrinkage factors. We compare the performance of our method with that of the VisuShrink and NeighShrink including various variants. Simulation results show that our proposed method has high peak signal-to-noise ratio and good visual quality of the image as compared to the traditional methods:Weiner filter, VisuShrink, SureShrink, NeighBlock, NeighShrink, ModiNeighShrink, LAWML, IIDMWT, and IAWDMBNC methods.

Full Text Available Energy efficient building is that consuming the least energy while providing comfort. The energy consumption of buildings, in general, as well as in Serbia, is among other things conditioned by the heating, cooling and lighting requirements with a goal of achieving of thermal and light comfort. Heating energy consumption is the result of heat loss and gain, and their values, in addition to other parameters, depend on town planning parameters. The paper focuses on the comparative analysis of impact of building different exposures to wind as well as on impact of the different prevailing orientations on energy efficiency of buildings. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 36042: Optimizacija arhitektonskog i urbanističkog planiranja i projektovanja u funkciji održivog razvoja Srbije

We prove the existence of a Hamiltonian with ionization energy as part of the eigenvalue, which can be used to study strongly correlated matter. This eigenvalue consists of total energy at zero temperature (0) and the ionization energy (). We show that the existence of this total energy eigenvalue, 0 ± , does not violate the Coulombian atomic system. Since there is no equivalent known Hamilton operator that corresponds quantitatively to , we employ the screened Coulomb potential operator (Yukawa-type), which is a function of this ionization energy to analytically calculate the screening parameter () of a neutral helium atom in the ground state. In addition, we also show that the energy level splitting due to spin-orbit coupling is inversely proportional to eigenvalue, which is also important in the field of spintronics.

markdownabstractBackground: The Eurostat statistics on the 28 EU member states’ performance in relation to renewable energy show that the Netherlands comes 25th in the EU-28. Yet, 500 initiatives were started by citizens and social groups over the last years to produce and consume renewable energy.

textabstractBackground: The Eurostat statistics on the 28 EU member states’ performance in relation to renewable energy show that the Netherlands comes 25th in the EU-28. Yet, 500 initiatives were started by citizens and social groups over the last years to produce and consume renewable energy. The

A coherent state technique is used to generate an Interacting Boson Model (IBM) Hamiltonian energy surface that simulates a mean field energy surface. The method presented here has some significant advantages over previous work. Specifically, that this can be a completely predictive requiring no a priori knowledge of the IBM parameters. The technique allows for the prediction of the low lying energy spectra and electromagnetic transition rates which are of astrophysical interest. Results and comparison with experiment are included for krypton, molybdenum, palladium, cadmium, gadolinium, dysprosium and erbium nuclei.

Full Text Available The smart grid approach is envisioned to take advantage of all available modern technologies in transforming the current power system to provide benefits to all stakeholders in the fields of efficient energy utilisation and of wide integration of renewable sources. Energy storage systems could help to solve some issues that stem from renewable energy usage in terms of stabilizing the intermittent energy production, power quality and power peak mitigation. With the integration of energy storage systems into the smart grids, their accurate modeling becomes a necessity, in order to gain robust real-time control on the network, in terms of stability and energy supply forecasting. In this framework, this paper proposes a procedure to identify the values of the battery model parameters in order to best fit experimental data and integrate it, along with models of energy sources and electrical loads, in a complete framework which represents a real time smart grid management system. The proposed method is based on a hybrid optimisation technique, which makes combined use of a stochastic and a deterministic algorithm, with low computational burden and can therefore be repeated over time in order to account for parameter variations due to the battery’s age and usage.

There is an approximately 9% discrepancy, corresponding to 2.4 σ, between two independent constraints on the expansion rate of the Universe: one indirectly arising from the cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillations and one more directly obtained from local measurements of the relation between redshifts and distances to sources. We argue that by taking into account the local gravitational potential at the position of the observer this tension--strengthened by the recent Planck results--is partially relieved and the concordance of the Standard Model of cosmology increased. We estimate that measurements of the local Hubble constant are subject to a cosmic variance of about 2.4% (limiting the local sample to redshifts z > 0.010) or 1.3% (limiting it to z > 0.023), a more significant correction than that taken into account already. Nonetheless, we show that one would need a very rare fluctuation to fully explain the offset in the Hubble rates. If this tension is further strengthened, a cosmology beyond the Standard Model may prove necessary.

Computational fluid dynamics in combination with experiments is used to characterize a gas sampling device for measurements of the local catalytic activity on surfaces. The device basically consists of a quartz capillary mounted concentrically inside an aluminum tube. Reactant gas is blown toward...

dii We have conducted an extensive review of the procedures used for the neutron and proton eIeimn s 6 Inth eutron exper-ImeDoom two samples were...about .002OK between the thermal reservoir at 77? and the irradiated part of the sample. Such a small temperature difference, even if mated by a...duration of the thermal pulse. This siqie calculation demonstrates that, at least for low LET radiation, the induced transient increase in the local

Still in its infancy, the wind energy industry is rapidly developing into a global business. Research institutes around the globe are working to develop the next technological advances. Tomorrow's turbines will be more efficient, generate more power, and be less expensive. (orig.)

Full Text Available The research discusses about the energy saving techniques in the design of data logger devices based on AVR microcontroller for monitoring parameters of the air temperature and sunlight intensity in the visible light spectrum. These energy reduction techniques include hardware aspects such as the use of the minimum system, peripherals power supply control and software such as sleep-mode. When the intensity of sun light increases, the interrupt pin will activate the system, otherwise the system is in a state of sleep-mode. The electrical energy consumption of the data logger is continuously observed and recorded on an external memory (SD card in real-time as so the 24 hours energy consumption can be known and the long-term-used energy can be predicted. Based on the results of measurements and calculations it is known that it takes energy of 8.23 Wh to turn the data logger for 24hours. With this reduction technique, the data logger energy consumption can be reduced by 68.5%.Keywords: data logger, energy saving, sun, sleep mode, interrupt

We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy background. Under the assumption that dark energy is described by the cosmological constant, we show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster. Specifically, the key physical parameters of the dark mater halos in clusters are determined by dark energy: (1) the halo cut-off radius is practically, if not exactly, equal to the zero-gravity radius at which the dark matter gravity is balanced by the dark energy antigravity; (2) the halo averaged density is equal to two densities of dark energy; (3) the halo edge (cut-off) density is the dark energy density with a numerical factor of the unity order slightly depending on the halo profile. The cluster gravitational potential well in which the particles of the dark halo (as well as galaxies and intracluster plasma) move is strongly affected by dark energy: the maximum of the potential is located at the zero-gravity radius of the cluster.

We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy background. Under the assumption that dark energy is described by the cosmological constant, we show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster. Specifically, the key physical parameters of the dark mater halos in clusters are determined by dark energy: 1) the halo cut-off radius is practically, if not exactly, equal to the zero-gravity radius at which the dark matter gravity is balanced by the dark energy antigravity; 2) the halo averaged density is equal to two densities of dark energy; 3) the halo edge (cut-off) density is the dark energy density with a numerical factor of the unity order slightly depending on the halo profile. The cluster gravitational potential well in which the particles of the dark halo (as well as galaxies and intracluster plasma) move is strongly affected by dark energy: the maximum of the potential is located at the zero-gravity radius of the cluster.

Acoustic signal localization is a complex problem with a wide range of industrial and academic applications. Herein, we propose a localization method based on energy attenuation and inverted source amplitude comparison (termed estimated source energy homogeneity, or ESEH). This inversion is tested on both synthetic (numerical) data using a Lamb wave propagation model and experimental 2D plate data (recorded with 4 accelerometers sensitive up to 26 kHz). We compare the performance of this technique with classic source localization algorithms: arrival time localization, time reversal localization, and localization based on energy amplitude. Our technique is highly versatile and out-performs the conventional techniques in terms of error minimization and cost (both computational and financial).

settings. The current case study presents a community energy concept for the inner-city of Elmshorn. By estimating the energy demand, consideration of localenergy saving potentials, and available energy potentials within the community, it was possible to develop several energy system variants...... that virtually allow a heating energy and electricity supply fully based on local, renewable energy resources. The most feasible and cost-efficient variant is the use of local food production waste in a CHP plant feeding a district heating grid. The overall aim is to show that a self-sufficient heat...

In the transition to 100% renewable energy systems, the local and regional implementation of renewable energy becomes essential. To implement energy systems that fulfill national targets, local investments have to be made creating a need for localenergy planning. However, challenges emerge when...... localenergy plans must be related to each other and to national targets. For instance, in terms of the division of resources between the countryside and cities, the amount of biomass to be used, and the placement of wind turbines. If local plans do not include the context of surrounding energy systems...... and only optimise locally, the consequences might be national sub-optimisation, including excessive biomass use, wind turbines in non-favourable positions, and the misalignment of resources between the open land and the cities. Thus, there is a risk that these necessary local plans can lead...

An examination is made of the incentives which influence the decisions by local governments to adopt energy-efficiency programs, either unilaterally or in partnership with the Federal government. It is found that there is significant potential for improved energy efficiency in urban residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and that exploiting these opportunities is in the interest of both Federal and local governments. Unless there is a unique combination of strong local leadership, a tradition of resource management, and external energy shocks, communities are unlikely to realize this potential. Conflicting demands, traditional perceptions, and lack of funding pose a major barrier to a strong unilateral commitment by local governments. A Federal-local partnership built upon and complementary to existing efforts in areas such as housing, social welfare, and economic development offers an excellent opportunity to realize the inherent potential of localenergy-efficiency programs. At the local level, energy is not perceived as an isolated issue, but one which is part of a number of problems arising from the continuing increase in energy prices.

As the prices of domestically produced and imported energy continue to skyrocket, the need for increased efforts to save energy grows. While states and their political subdivisions can encourage energy conservation in a variety of ways, they can set an example for their citizens and save energy themselves by becoming more conscious of the energy impacts of government purchasing and more committed to energy-efficient procurement. This report examines the progress made by states in this area since the enactment in 1975 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). One part of this law authorizes Federal assistance to states for the preparation and implementation of energy-conservation plans to include, among other elements, energy-efficient procurement standards and policies. Three and a half years after EPCA's passage, state and localenergy-efficient procurement programs, with a few exceptions, have barely advanced beyond infancy. The major reasons for this are a lack of reliable energy-efficiency information on many energy-consuming products, a resistance to change on the part of purchasing officials or their superiors, and a reluctance in the tax-revolt era to spend money in order to save money as well as energy. To overcome these obstacles, states and localities should consider mandating energy-efficient procurement practices through either executive orders or legislation. In addition, states and localities should consider adopting institutional arrangements, such as centralized purchasing and joint or cooperative purchasing that will facilitate energy-efficient procurement. To further state and local efforts in this area, the Federal government should provide technical and financial assistance to an organization or purchasing officials to establish an information clearinghouse.

We investigate energy transfer across scales in three-dimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, a model often used to study space and astrophysical plasmas. Analysis shows that kinetic and magnetic energies cascade conservatively from large to small scales in cases with varying degrees of compression. With more compression, energy fluxes due to pressure dilation and subscale mass flux are greater, but conversion between kinetic and magnetic energy by magnetic line stretching is less efficient. Energy transfer between the same fields is dominated by local contributions regardless of compressive effects. In contrast, the conversion between kinetic and internal energy by pressure dilation is dominated by the largest scale contributions. Energy conversion between the velocity and magnetic fields is weakly local.

The publication reports a sustainable energy assessment at the local project site of the HighARCS project in Nainital, Uttarakhand and Buxa, West Bengal, India. The assessment has been made as a contribution to the elaboration of biodiversity conservation and livelihoods improvement action plans....... It proposes an energy assessment methodology and planning procedure. An assessment is made for each of the two local areas on the basis of data collected during a field visit in Sept 2010...

The publication reports a sustainable energy assessment at the local project site of the HighARCS project in Nainital, Uttarakhand and Buxa, West Bengal, India. The assessment has been made as a contribution to the elaboration of biodiversity conservation and livelihoods improvement action plans....... It proposes an energy assessment methodology and planning procedure. An assessment is made for each of the two local areas on the basis of data collected during a field visit in Sept 2010...

While global, national, and regional efforts to address climate and energy challenges remain essential, local governments and community groups are playing an increasingly stronger and vital role. As an active state in energy system policy, planning and innovation, Vermont offers a testing ground for research into energy governance at the local level. A baseline understanding of the energy planning and energy organizing activities initiated at the local level can support efforts to foster a transition to a sustainable energy system in Vermont. Following an inductive, applied and participatory approach, and grounded in the fields of sustainability transitions, energy planning, and community energy, this research project identifies conditions for change, including opportunities and challenges, within Vermont energy system decision-making and governance at the local level. The following questions are posed: What are the main opportunities and challenges for sustainable energy development at the town level? How are towns approaching energy planning? What are the triggers that will facilitate a faster transition to alternative energy systems, energy efficiency initiatives, and localized approaches? In an effort to answer these questions two studies were conducted: 1) an analysis of municipal energy plans, and 2) a survey of localenergy actors. Study 1 examined Vermont energy planning at the state and local level through a review and comparison of 40 municipal plan energy chapters with the state 2011 Comprehensive Energy Plan. On average, municipal plans mentioned just over half of the 24 high-level strategies identified in the Comprehensive Energy Plan. Areas of strong and weak agreement were examined. Increased state and regional interaction with municipal energy planners would support more holistic and coordinated energy planning. The study concludes that while municipalities are keenly aware of the importance of education and partnerships, stronger policy mechanisms

while chemical bond strengths and absolute correlation energies are systematically underestimated. In this work we extend the RPA by including a parameter-free renormalized version of the adiabatic local-density (ALDA) exchange-correlation kernel. The renormalization consists of a (local) truncation...... of the ALDA kernel for wave vectors q > 2kF, which is found to yield excellent results for the homogeneous electron gas. In addition, the kernel significantly improves both the absolute correlation energies and atomization energies of small molecules over RPA and ALDA. The renormalization can...

Computational RNA structure prediction is a mature important problem that has received a new wave of attention with the discovery of regulatory non-coding RNAs and the advent of high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Despite nearly two score years of research on RNA secondary structure and RNA-RNA interaction prediction, the accuracy of the state-of-the-art algorithms are still far from satisfactory. So far, researchers have proposed increasingly complex energy models and improved parameter estimation methods, experimental and/or computational, in anticipation of endowing their methods with enough power to solve the problem. The output has disappointingly been only modest improvements, not matching the expectations. Even recent massively featured machine learning approaches were not able to break the barrier. Why is that? The first step toward high-accuracy structure prediction is to pick an energy model that is inherently capable of predicting each and every one of known structures to date. In this article, we introduce the notion of learnability of the parameters of an energy model as a measure of such an inherent capability. We say that the parameters of an energy model are learnable iff there exists at least one set of such parameters that renders every known RNA structure to date the minimum free energy structure. We derive a necessary condition for the learnability and give a dynamic programming algorithm to assess it. Our algorithm computes the convex hull of the feature vectors of all feasible structures in the ensemble of a given input sequence. Interestingly, that convex hull coincides with the Newton polytope of the partition function as a polynomial in energyparameters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first approach toward computing the RNA Newton polytope and a systematic assessment of the inherent capabilities of an energy model. The worst case complexity of our algorithm is exponential in the number of features. However, dimensionality

It has been reported in recent years that vibronic resonance between vibrational energy of the intramolecular nuclear mode and excitation-energy difference is crucial to enhance excitation energy transport in light harvesting proteins. Here we investigate how vibronic enhancement induced by vibronic resonance is influenced by the details of local and non-local exciton-phonon interactions. We study a heterodimer model with parameters relevant to the light-harvesting proteins with the surrogate Hamiltonian quantum dynamics method in a vibronic basis. In addition, the impact of field-driven excitation on the efficiency of population transfer is compared with the instantaneous excitation, and the effect of multi-mode vibronic coupling is presented in comparison with the coupling to a single effective vibrational mode. We find that vibronic enhancement of site population transfer is strongly suppressed with the increase of non-local exciton-phonon interaction and increasing the number of strongly coupled high-frequency vibrational modes leads to a further decrease in vibronic enhancement. Our results indicate that vibronic enhancement is present but may be much smaller than previously thought and therefore care needs to be taken when interpreting its role in excitation energy transport. Our results also suggest that non-local exciton-phonon coupling, which is related to the fluctuation of the excitonic coupling, may be as important as local exciton-phonon coupling and should be included in any quantum dynamics model.

This booklet is realized within the framework of the european commission called PREDAC. This document have been conceived by a working group specialized on the local investment into renewable energies thematic. The objectives of this project are: to promote citizen participation in the financing of renewable energies projects in Europe; to make organizations, investor clubs and local government to be aware of this way of implication into renewable energies development; to examine more especially three renewable energy sources: biomass, photovoltaic and wind in Denmark, France, Germany, Greece and United Kingdom. (author)

Full Text Available We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy background. The equilibrium and stability of polytropic spheres with equation of state of the matter P = Kpγ, γ = 1 + 1/n, in presence of a non-zero cosmological constant is investigated. The equilibrium state exists only for central densities p0 larger than the critical value pc and there are no static solutions at p0energy antigravity. It is shown, that dark energy reduces the dynamic stability of the configuration. We show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster, which halo radius is close to the zero-gravity radius. It is shown, that the empirical data on clusters like the Virgo cluster or the Coma cluster, are consistent with the assumption that the local density of dark energy on the scale of clusters of galaxies is the same as on the global cosmological scales.

Two-dimensional steady-state simulations have been performed using the standard k-e turbulence model coupled with the heat transfer models available in the CFD software FLUENT 6.1, in order to examine the impact of radiation on the Urban Heat Island phenomenon. Specifically, the impact of radiation in three typical urban areas of Cyprus during the summer period is examined. The first geometry considered represents a typical suburban area and is termed as the reference geometry. The second geometry represents an area at the centre of a town with higher buildings and relatively narrower roads. The third geometry, on the other hand, describes a suburban area with wider roads and larger houses than the reference model. Computed values for air temperature in the urban street canyon have indicated that the increase in temperature associated with radiative heat transfer can be reduced by optimising the canyon geometry and, ultimately, help to mitigate the human thermal discomfort. The present study has also revealed that the selection of construction materials can be optimised to offer further reductions in the air temperature of the urban environment. It can be concluded that the combined effect of these remedies can lead to reductions in the energy consumption for building air-conditioning over the summer period.

Full Text Available The transition towards a more sustainable global energy system, significantly relying on renewable energies and decentralized energy systems, requires a deep reorganization of the energy sector. The way how energy services are generated, delivered and traded is expected to be very different in the coming years. Business model innovation is recognized as a key driver for the successful implementation of the energy turnaround. This work contributes to this topic by introducing a heuristic methodology easing the identification of general business model patterns best suited for LocalEnergy Management concepts such as Energy Hubs. A conceptual framework characterizing the LocalEnergy Management business model solution space is developed. Three reference business model patterns providing orientation across the defined solution space are identified, analyzed and compared. Through a market review a number of successfully implemented innovative business models have been analyzed and allocated within the defined solution space. The outcomes of this work offer to potential stakeholders a starting point and guidelines for the business model innovation process, as well as insights for policy makers on challenges and opportunities related to LocalEnergy Management concepts.

Inertial fusion energy reactors present great promise for the future as they are capable of providing baseline power with no carbon footprint. Simulation work regarding the chamber response and first wall insult is performed with the 1-D radiation hydrodynamics code BUCKY. Simulation with differing chamber parameters are implemented to study the effect of gas fill, gas mixtures and chamber radii. Xenon and argon gases are of particular interest as shielding for the first wall due to their high opacity values and ready availability. Mixing of the two gases is an attempt to engineer a gas cocktail to provide the maximum amount of shielding with the least amount of cost. A parameter study of different chamber radii shows a consistent relationship with that of first wall temperature (~1/r2) and overpressure (~1/r3). This work is performed under collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Method of measuring physical parameters characterizing intermittency effects of energy cascade in turbulence is presented in the framework of the Hierarchical Structure model. The method of β-test and γ-test enables to verify the existence of hierarchical symmetry and to derive the degree of singularity for the most intermittent structures. The method is applied to analyze data for a high Reynolds number, low-temperature helium turbulent flow. Evidence for universal hierarchical symmetry constant β is reported. Effects of finite statistical sample size are discussed in detail.

Full Text Available This paper extends previous studies in modeling and estimating energy demand functions for both gasoline and kerosene petroleum products for Nigeria from 1977 to 2008. In contrast to earlier studies on Nigeria and other developing countries, this study specifically tests for the possibility of structural breaks/regime shifts and parameter instability in the energy demand functions using more recent and robust techniques. In addition, the study considers an alternative model specification which primarily captures the price-income interaction effects on both gasoline and kerosene demand functions. While the conventional residual-based cointegration tests employed fail to identify any meaningful long run relationship in both functions, the Gregory-Hansen structural break cointegration approach confirms the cointegration relationships despite the breakpoints. Both functions are also found to be stable under the period studied.The elasticity estimates also follow the a priori expectation being inelastic both in the long- and short run for the two functions.

The operation of solar powered wireless sensor networks is associated with numerous challenges. One of the main challenges is the high variability of solar power input and battery capacity, due to factors such as weather, humidity, dust and temperature. In this article, we propose a set of tools that can be implemented onboard high power wireless sensor networks to estimate the battery condition and capacity as well as solar power availability. These parameters are very important to optimize sensing and communications operations and maximize the reliability of the complete system. Experimental results show that the performance of typical Lithium Ion batteries severely degrades outdoors in a matter of weeks or months, and that the availability of solar energy in an urban solar powered wireless sensor network is highly variable, which underlines the need for such power and energy estimation algorithms.

We formulate quantum energy inequalities (QEIs) in the framework of locally covariant quantum field theory developed by Brunetti, Fredenhagen and Verch, which is based on notions taken from category theory. This leads to a new viewpoint on the QEIs, and also to the identification of a new structural property of locally covariant quantum field theory, which we call local physical equivalence. Covariant formulations of the numerical range and spectrum of locally covariant fields are given and investigated, and a new algebra of fields is identified, in which fields are treated independently of their realisation on particular spacetimes and manifestly covariant versions of the functional calculus may be formulated.

The shift towards a energy Grid dominated by prosumers (consumers and producers of energy) will inevitably have repercussions on the distribution infrastructure. Today it is a hierarchical one designed to deliver energy from large scale facilities to end-users. Tomorrow it will be a capillary infrastructure at the medium and Low Voltage levels that will support localenergy trading among prosumers. In our previous work, we analyzed the Dutch Power Grid and made an initial analysis of the economic impact topological properties have on decentralized energy trading. In this paper, we go one step further and investigate how different networks topologies and growth models facilitate the emergence of a decentralized market. In particular, we show how the connectivity plays an important role in improving the properties of reliability and path-cost reduction. From the economic point of view, we estimate how the topological evolutions facilitate local electricity distribution, taking into account the main cost ingredi...

Identifying heterogeneous structures in glasses—such as localized soft spots—and understanding structure-dynamics relations in these systems remain major scientific challenges. Here, we derive an exact expression for the local thermal energy of interacting particles (the mean local potential energy change caused by thermal fluctuations) in glassy systems by a systematic low-temperature expansion. We show that the local thermal energy can attain anomalously large values, inversely related to the degree of softness of localized structures in a glass, determined by a coupling between internal stresses—an intrinsic signature of glassy frustration—anharmonicity and low-frequency vibrational modes. These anomalously large values follow a fat-tailed distribution, with a universal exponent related to the recently observed universal ω4ω4 density of states of quasilocalized low-frequency vibrational modes. When the spatial thermal energy field—a “softness field”—is considered, this power law tail manifests itself by highly localized spots, which are significantly softer than their surroundings. These soft spots are shown to be susceptible to plastic rearrangements under external driving forces, having predictive powers that surpass those of the normal modes-based approach. These results offer a general, system/model-independent, physical/observable-based approach to identify structural properties of quiescent glasses and relate them to glassy dynamics.

Both the Czech Republic and Poland as former Communist countries, are transforming their economies from central planning to a free market. This applies equally to energy planning and because they are starting from the same point, they have come up with very comparable solutions despite strong cultural differences, so that the parallels are striking. This study analyzes the energy management in local authorities in Poland and the Czech Republic with the objective of better: identifying the current situation, identifying the opportunities for action both now and in an extended European Union, identifying the constraints that may hinder full integration of East European municipalities in European Union programmes, improve the integration of municipalities in the countries concerned in pan-European networks of municipalities interested in energy issues. The study reviews the powers and responsibilities of local authorities in the energy field and the institutional framework within which local authorities work. There are now 16 directly elected regional authorities in Poland and the local authorities have been restructured into two levels, the Powiad and the Gmina. Similarly, in the Czech Republic 14 elected regional authorities have been established. This document brings together 2 reports: the final report and the study report about the energy policies in Poland and in the Czech republic: structure of local government, general and institutional aspects, national political organisation, national administrative organisation, municipal role in production and distribution, regulation and planning, energy issues, energy management policies, specific aspects at local level etc... The conclusions from two review seminars (Jablonec nad Nison (Czech republic), 25-26 January 2001, and Bielsko Biala (Poland), 22-23 February 2001) and some fact files on 4 large Czech towns and 4 large Polish towns complete the study. (J.S.)

In this paper we address two questions: how energy conservation affects the solution to the non-linear equation, and how impact parameter dependence influences the inclusive production. Answering the first question we solve the modified BK equation which takes into account energy conservation. In spite of the fact that we used the simplified kernel, we believe that the main result of the paper: the small ($\\leq 40%$) suppression of the inclusive productiondue to energy conservation, reflects a general feature. This result leads us to believe that the small value of the nuclear modification factor is of a non-perturbative nature. In the solution a new scale appears $Q_{fr} = Q_s \\exp(-1/(2 \\bas))$ and the production of dipoles with the size larger than $2/Q_{fr}$ is suppressed. Therefore, we can expect that the typical temperature for hadron production is about $Q_{fr}$ ($ T \\approx Q_{fr}$). The simplified equation allows us to obtain a solution to Balitsky-Kovchegov equation taking into account the impact pa...

Precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectrum are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the standard Λ CDM cosmological model. However, there is some tension between the value of the Hubble parameter H0 inferred from the CMB and that inferred from observations of the Universe at lower redshifts, and the unusually small value of the dark-energy density is a puzzling ingredient of the model. In this paper, we explore a scenario with a new exotic energy density that behaves like a cosmological constant at early times and then decays quickly at some critical redshift zc. An exotic energy density like this is motivated by some string-axiverse-inspired scenarios for dark energy. By increasing the expansion rate at early times, the very precisely determined angular scale of the sound horizon at decoupling can be preserved with a larger Hubble constant. We find, however, that the Planck temperature power spectrum tightly constrains the magnitude of the early dark-energy density and thus any shift in the Hubble constant obtained from the CMB. If the reionization optical depth is required to be smaller than the Planck 2016 2 σ upper bound τ ≲0.0774 , then early dark energy allows a Hubble-parameter shift of at most 1.6 km s-1 Mpc-1 (at zc≃1585 ), too small to fully alleviate the Hubble-parameter tension. Only if τ is increased by more than 5 σ can the CMB Hubble parameter be brought into agreement with that from local measurements. In the process, we derive strong constraints to the contribution of early dark energy at the time of recombination—it can never exceed ˜2 % of the radiation/matter density for 10 ≲zc≲1 05 .

Full Text Available The recent determination of the local value of the Hubble constant by Riess et al., 2016 (hereafter R16 is now 3.3 sigma higher than the value derived from the most recent CMB anisotropy data provided by the Planck satellite in a ΛCDM model. Here we perform a combined analysis of the Planck and R16 results in an extended parameter space, varying simultaneously 12 cosmological parameters instead of the usual 6. We find that a phantom-like dark energy component, with effective equation of state w=−1.29−0.12+0.15 at 68% c.l. can solve the current tension between the Planck dataset and the R16 prior in an extended ΛCDM scenario. On the other hand, the neutrino effective number is fully compatible with standard expectations. This result is confirmed when including cosmic shear data from the CFHTLenS survey and CMB lensing constraints from Planck. However, when BAO measurements are included we find that some of the tension with R16 remains, as also is the case when we include the supernova type Ia luminosity distances from the JLA catalog.

The recent determination of the local value of the Hubble constant by Riess et al., 2016 (hereafter R16) is now 3.3 sigma higher than the value derived from the most recent CMB anisotropy data provided by the Planck satellite in a ΛCDM model. Here we perform a combined analysis of the Planck and R16 results in an extended parameter space, varying simultaneously 12 cosmological parameters instead of the usual 6. We find that a phantom-like dark energy component, with effective equation of state w = -1.29-0.12+0.15 at 68% c.l. can solve the current tension between the Planck dataset and the R16 prior in an extended ΛCDM scenario. On the other hand, the neutrino effective number is fully compatible with standard expectations. This result is confirmed when including cosmic shear data from the CFHTLenS survey and CMB lensing constraints from Planck. However, when BAO measurements are included we find that some of the tension with R16 remains, as also is the case when we include the supernova type Ia luminosity distances from the JLA catalog.

The recent determination of the local value of the Hubble constant by Riess et al, 2016 (hereafter R16) is now 3.3 sigma higher than the value derived from the most recent CMB anisotropy data provided by the Planck satellite in a LCDM model. Here we perform a combined analysis of the Planck and R16 results in an extended parameter space, varying simultaneously 12 cosmological parameters instead of the usual 6. We find that a phantom-like dark energy component, with effective equation of state $w=-1.29_{-0.12}^{+0.15}$ at 68 % c.l. can solve the current tension between the Planck dataset and the R16 prior in an extended $\\Lambda$CDM scenario. On the other hand, the neutrino effective number is fully compatible with standard expectations. This result is confirmed when including cosmic shear data from the CFHTLenS survey and CMB lensing constraints from Planck. However, when BAO measurements are included we find that some of the tension with R16 remains, as also is the case when we include the supernova type Ia ...

A description is given of the application of a multivariable control design method (SANDY) based on constrained parameter optimization to the design of a multiloop aircraft flight control system. Specifically, the design method is applied to the direct synthesis of a multiloop AFCS inner-loop feedback control system based on total energy control system (TECS) principles. The design procedure offers a structured approach for the determination of a set of stabilizing controller design gains that meet design specifications in closed-loop stability, command tracking performance, disturbance rejection, and limits on control activities. The approach can be extended to a broader class of multiloop flight control systems. Direct tradeoffs between many real design goals are rendered systematic by proper formulation of the design objectives and constraints. Satisfactory designs are usually obtained in few iterations. Performance characteristics of the optimized TECS design have been improved, particularly in the areas of closed-loop damping and control activity in the presence of turbulence.

Swedish municipalities are required to produce a municipal energy plan for energy supply and use. Whether energy planning is suitable to manage localenergy systems, however, is subject to debate. This thesis explores municipal energy planning and development of localenergy systems after energy plans were adopted to examine whether energy planning is effective. The effectiveness of energy planning is studied on two levels: in terms of whether goals in energy plans were implemented, and whether energy planning contributes to fulfilling national energy policy goals. The research is based on three studies. In the first, the scope of twelve municipal energy plans from a Swedish region was assessed. In the second study, goals and visions in seven energy plans were analysed and compared to the development of the localenergy systems. The third case involved Kungaelv municipality, where the implementation of goals in its energy plan was studied more thoroughly. Scopes and goals in the energy plans were analysed from three perspectives: the environment, energy efficiency and the systems level. Goals and development were also analysed from an actor's perspective. The results show that the scopes of the studied energy plans have narrow systems boundaries, and that the environmental analyses presented in the plans are very basic. Energy planning was found to have been fairly effective in terms of fulfilment of goals in energy plans. Most positive developments are for goals on a relatively low systems level when the local authority owns the issue, for example district heating expansion and energy efficiency measures in public buildings. When it comes to contributing to national energy policy goals, results vary; use of biomass has increased, but self-sufficiency in electricity supply has increased only slightly. The most favourable development when it comes to energy-related emissions is the reduction of carbon dioxide. Based on shortcomings identified in the studied

Aiming at exploring the nature of dark energy, we use thirty-six observational Hubble parameter data (OHD) in the redshift range $0 \\leqslant z \\leqslant 2.36$ to make a cosmological model-independent test of the two-point $Omh^2(z_{2};z_{1})$ diagnostic. In $\\Lambda$CDM, we have $Omh^2 \\equiv \\Omega_{m}h^2$, where $\\Omega_{m}$ is the matter density parameter at present. We bin all the OHD into four data points to mitigate the observational contaminations. By comparing with the value of $\\Omega_{m}h^2$ which is constrained tightly by the Planck observations, our results show that in all six testing pairs of $Omh^2$ there are two testing pairs are consistent with $\\Lambda$CDM at $1\\sigma$ confidence level (CL), whereas for another two of them $\\Lambda$CDM can only be accommodated at $2\\sigma$ CL. Particularly, for remaining two pairs, $\\Lambda$CDM is not compatible even at $2\\sigma$ CL. Therefore it is reasonable that although deviations from $\\Lambda$CDM exist for some pairs, cautiously, we cannot rule out th...

Alok Kumar Mohapatra1* and William Kumar Mohanty1 *Corresponding author: alokgpiitkgp@gmail.com 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Pin-721302 ABSTRACT In the present study, the quality factor of coda waves (Qc) and the source parameters has been estimated for the Northeastern India, using the digital data of ten local earthquakes from April 2001 to November 2002. Earthquakes with magnitude range from 3.8 to 4.9 have been taken into account. The time domain coda decay method of a single back scattering model is used to calculate frequency dependent values of Coda Q (Qc) where as, the source parameters like seismic moment(Mo), stress drop, source radius(r), radiant energy(Wo),and strain drop are estimated using displacement amplitude spectrum of body wave using Brune's model. The earthquakes with magnitude range 3.8 to 4.9 have been used for estimation Qc at six central frequencies 1.5 Hz, 3.0 Hz, 6.0 Hz, 9.0 Hz, 12.0 Hz, and 18.0 Hz. In the present work, the Qc value of local earthquakes are estimated to understand the attenuation characteristic, source parameters and tectonic activity of the region. Based on a criteria of homogeneity in the geological characteristics and the constrains imposed by the distribution of available events the study region has been classified into three zones such as the Tibetan Plateau Zone (TPZ), Bengal Alluvium and Arakan-Yuma Zone (BAZ), Shillong Plateau Zone (SPZ). It follows the power law Qc= Qo (f/fo)n where, Qo is the quality factor at the reference frequency (1Hz) fo and n is the frequency parameter which varies from region to region. The mean values of Qc reveals a dependence on frequency, varying from 292.9 at 1.5 Hz to 4880.1 at 18 Hz. Average frequency dependent relationship Qc values obtained of the Northeastern India is 198 f 1.035, while this relationship varies from the region to region such as, Tibetan Plateau Zone (TPZ): Qc= 226 f 1.11, Bengal Alluvium

The localization problem of compact invariant sets of the Roessler system is considered in this paper. The main interest is attracted to a localization of periodic orbits. We establish a number of algebraic conditions imposed on parameters under which the Roessler system has no compact invariant sets contained in half-spaces z > 0; z < 0 and in some others. We prove that if parameters (a, b, c) of the Roessler system are such that this system has no equilibrium points then it has no periodic orbits as well. In addition, we give localization conditions of compact invariant sets by using linear functions and one quadratic function.

An asymptotically adjusted self-consistent α (AASCα) method is advanced for the purpose of constructing an accurate orbital-dependent local exchange potential with correct asymptotic behavior. This local potential is made up of the Slater potential plus an additional term containing a multiplicative parameter αx (a self-consistently determined orbital functional) times a local response potential that is approximated using standard exchange-energy functionals. Applications of the AASCα functionals to diatomic molecules yield significantly improved total, exchange, and atomization energies that compare quite well, but at a much lower computational cost, with those obtained by the exact orbital-dependent exchange energy treatment [S. Ivanov, S. Hirata, and R. J. Bartlett, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 5455 (1999); A. Görling, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 5459 (1999)] (in fact, the present results are very close to the Hartree-Fock ones). Moreover, because in the AASCα method the exchange potential tends toward the correct (-1/r) asymptotic behavior, the ionization potentials approximated by the negative of the highest-occupied-orbital energy have a closer agreement with experimental values than those resulting from current approximate density functionals. Finally, we show that in the context of the present method it is possible to introduce some generalizations to the Gritsenko-van Leeuwen-van Lenthe-Baerends model [O. Gritsenko, R. van Leeuwen, E. van Lenthe, and E. J. Baerends, Phys. Rev. A 51, 1944 (1995)].

A simple argument shows that negative energy cannot be isolated far away from positive energy in a conformal field theory and strongly constrains its possible dispersal. This is also required by consistency with the Bekenstein bound written in terms of the positivity of relative entropy. We prove a new form of the Bekenstein bound based on the monotonicity of the relative entropy, involving a "free" entropy enclosed in a region which is highly insensitive to space-time entanglement, and show that it further improves the negative energylocalization bound.

This study pursues a Habermasian analysis of citizen discussions and of the local public sphere to shed light on renewable energy futures in rural east-central Canada. Using data from group discussions, it pursues an investigation of utterances, validity claims and of discourses. The analysis is supplemented by participant observation of publicly…

This study pursues a Habermasian analysis of citizen discussions and of the local public sphere to shed light on renewable energy futures in rural east-central Canada. Using data from group discussions, it pursues an investigation of utterances, validity claims and of discourses. The analysis is supplemented by participant observation of publicly…

The Airy gas model is used to derive an expression for the local kinetic energy in the linear potential approximation. The expression contains an explicit Laplacian term 2/5((h) over bar(2)/2m)del(mu)(2)(r) that, according to jellium surface calculations, must be a universal feature of any accura...

We derive a formula describing the transformation of the Hawking-Hayward quasi-localenergy under a conformal rescaling of the spacetime metric. A known formula for the transformation of the Misner-Sharp-Hernandez mass is recovered as a special case.

The publication reports a sustainable energy assessment at the local project site of the HighARCS project in Nainital, Uttarakhand and Buxa, West Bengal, India. The assessment has been made as a contribution to the elaboration of biodiversity conservation and livelihoods improvement action plans....

Unlike in bulk materials, energy transport in low-dimensional and nanoscale systems may be governed by a coherent "ballistic" behavior of lattice vibrations, the phonons. If dominant, such behavior would determine the mechanism for transport and relaxation in various energy-conversion applications. In order to study this coherent limit, both the spatial and temporal resolutions must be sufficient for the length-time scales involved. Here, we report observation of the lattice dynamics in nanoscale quantum dots of gallium arsenide using ultrafast electron diffraction. By varying the dot size from h = 11 to 46 nm, the length scale effect was examined, together with the temporal change. When the dot size is smaller than the inelastic phonon mean-free path, the energy remains localized in high-energy acoustic modes that travel coherently within the dot. As the dot size increases, an energy dissipation toward low-energy phonons takes place, and the transport becomes diffusive. Because ultrafast diffraction provides the atomic-scale resolution and a sufficiently high time resolution, other nanostructured materials can be studied similarly to elucidate the nature of dynamical energylocalization.

Our local environment at $r<10$ Mpc expands linearly and smoothly, as if ruled by a uniform matter distribution, while observations show the very clumpy local universe. This is a long standing enigma in cosmology. We argue that the recently discovered vacuum or quintessence (dark energy (DE) component with the equation of state $p_Q = w \\rho_Q c^2$, $w \\in [-1,0)$) from observations of the high-redshift universe may also manifest itself in the properties of the very local Hubble flow. We introduce the concept of the critical distance $r_Q$ where the repulsive force of dark energy starts to dominate over the gravity of a mass concentration. For the Local Group $r_Q$ is about 1.5 Mpc. Intriguingly, at the same distance 1.5 Mpc the linear and very "cold" Hubble flow emerges, with about the global Hubble constant. We also consider the critical epoch $t_Q$, when the DE antigravity began to dominate over the local matter gravity for a galaxy which at the present epoch is in the local DE dominated region. Our mai...

Full Text Available Integrated community energy systems (ICESs are emerging as a modern development to re-organize localenergy systems allowing simultaneous integration of distributed energy resources (DERs and engagement of local communities. Although localenergy initiatives, such as ICESs are rapidly emerging due to community objectives, such as cost and emission reductions as well as resiliency, assessment and evaluation are still lacking on the value that these systems can provide both to the local communities as well as to the whole energy system. In this paper, we present a model-based framework to assess the value of ICESs for the local communities. The distributed energy resources-consumer adoption model (DER-CAM based ICES model is used to assess the value of an ICES in the Netherlands. For the considered community size and local conditions, grid-connected ICESs are already beneficial to the alternative of solely being supplied from the grid both in terms of total energy costs and CO2 emissions, whereas grid-defected systems, although performing very well in terms of CO2 emission reduction, are still rather expensive.

In the first part of this series, we presented a parametrization strategy to obtain high-quality electronic band structures on the basis of density-functional-based tight-binding (DFTB) calculations and published a parameter set called QUASINANO2013.1. Here, we extend our parametrization effort to include the remaining terms that are needed to compute the total energy and its gradient, commonly referred to as repulsive potential. Instead of parametrizing these terms as a two-body potential, we calculate them explicitly from the DFTB analogues of the Kohn-Sham total energy expression. This strategy requires only two further numerical parameters per element. Thus, the atomic configuration and four real numbers per element are sufficient to define the DFTB model at this level of parametrization. The QUASINANO2015 parameter set allows the calculation of energy, structure, and electronic structure of all systems composed of elements ranging from H to Ca. Extensive benchmarks show that the overall accuracy of QUASINANO2015 is comparable to that of well-established methods, including PM7 and hand-tuned DFTB parameter sets, while coverage of a much larger range of chemical systems is available.

The goal of this paper is to reliably estimate a vector of unknown deterministic parameters associated with an underlying function at a fusion center of a wireless sensor network based on its noisy samples made at distributed local sensors. A set of noisy samples of a deterministic function characterized by a nite set of unknown param- eters to be estimated is observed by distributed sensors. The parameters to be estimated can be some attributes associated with the underlying function, such as its height, its center, its variances in dierent directions, or even the weights of its specic components over a predened basis set. Each local sensor processes its observation and sends its processed sample to a fusion center through parallel impaired communication channels. Two local processing schemes, namely analog and digital, are considered. In the analog local processing scheme, each sensor transmits an amplied version of its local analog noisy observation to the fusion center, acting like a relay in a wireless network. In the digital local processing scheme, each sensor quantizes its noisy observation before trans- mitting it to the fusion center. A at-fading channel model is considered between the local sensors and fusion center. The fusion center combines all of the received locally-processed observations and estimates the vector of unknown parameters of the underlying function. Two dierent well-known estimation techniques, namely maximum-likelihood (ML), for both analog and digital local processing schemes, and expectation maximization (EM), for digital local processing scheme, are considered at the fusion center. The performance of the proposed distributed parameter estimation system is investigated through simulation of practical scenarios for a sample underlying function.

Soft robotics may provide many advantages compared to traditional robotics approaches based on rigid materials, such as intrinsically safe physical human-robot interaction, efficient/stable locomotion, adaptive morphology, etc. The objective of this study is to develop a compliant structural actuator for soft a soft robot using dielectric elastomer minimum energy structures (DEMES). DEMES consist of a pre-stretched dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) bonded to an initially planar flexible frame, which deforms into an out-of-plane shape which allows for large actuation stroke. Our initial goal is a one-dimensional bending actuator with 90 degree stroke. Along with frame shape, the actuation performance of DEMES depends on mechanical parameters such as thickness of the materials and pre-stretch of the elastomer membrane. We report here the characterization results on the effect of mechanical parameters on the actuator performance. The tested devices use a cm-size flexible-PCB (polyimide, 50 μm thickness) as the frame-material. For the DEA, PDMS (approximately 50 μm thickness) and carbon black mixed with silicone were used as membrane and electrode, respectively. The actuators were characterized by measuring the tip angle and the blocking force as functions of applied voltage. Different pre-stretch methods (uniaxial, biaxial and their ratio), and frame geometries (rectangular with different width, triangular and circular) were used. In order to compare actuators with different geometries, the same electrode area was used in all the devices. The results showed that the initial tip angle scales inversely with the frame width, the actuation stroke and the blocking force are inversely related (leading to an interesting design trade-off), using anisotropic pre-stretch increased the actuation stroke and the initial bending angle, and the circular frame shape exhibited the highest actuation performance.

We study the behaviors of both Hartree and correlation energies of undoped gapped armchair graphene nanoribbon using random phase approximation in the context of Hubbard model Hamiltonian. Specially, the effects of spin polarization and gap parameter on electron density dependence of Hartree and correlation energies of armchair graphene nanoribbon has been addressed. Our results show the variation of gap parameter leads to considerable effect on correlation and Hartree energy behavior of spin unpolarized gapped graphene in the middle electron density region. However local Hubbard interaction parameter affects the behaviors of Hartree and correlation energy on the whole range of electron density in zero magnetization case. We also show that a considerable reduction has been observed for density dependence of Hartree and correlation energies of spin polarized gapped graphene nanoribbon.

Full Text Available Extensive research has been devoted to the estimation of the parameters of frequently used distributions. However, little attention has been paid to estimation of parameters of Gamma/Gompertz distribution, which is often encountered in customer lifetime and mortality risks distribution literature. This distribution has three parameters. In this paper, we proposed an algorithm for estimating the parameters of Gamma/Gompertz distribution based on maximum likelihood estimation method. Iterated local search (ILS is proposed to maximize likelihood function. Finally, the proposed approach is computationally tested using some numerical examples and results are analyzed.

In the classical source parameter inversion algorithm of CAP (Cut and Paste method, by Zhao and Helmberger), waveform data at near distances (typically less than 500km) are partitioned into Pnl and surface waves to account for uncertainties in the crustal models and different amplitude weight of body and surface waves. The classical CAP algorithms have proven effective for resolving source parameters (focal mechanisms, depth and moment) for earthquakes well recorded on relatively dense seismic network. However for regions covered with sparse stations, it is challenging to achieve precise source parameters . In this case, a moderate earthquake of ~M6 is usually recorded on only one or two local stations with epicentral distances less than 500 km. Fortunately, an earthquake of ~M6 can be well recorded on global seismic networks. Since the ray paths for teleseismic and local body waves sample different portions of the focal sphere, combination of teleseismic and local body wave data helps constrain source parameters better. Here we present a new CAP mothod (CAPjoint), which emploits both teleseismic body waveforms (P and SH waves) and local waveforms (Pnl, Rayleigh and Love waves) to determine source parameters. For an earthquake in Nevada that is well recorded with dense local network (USArray stations), we compare the results from CAPjoint with those from the traditional CAP method involving only of local waveforms , and explore the efficiency with bootstraping statistics to prove the results derived by CAPjoint are stable and reliable. Even with one local station included in joint inversion, accuracy of source parameters such as moment and strike can be much better improved.

To study the local Hubble flow, we have run constrained dark matter (DM) simulations of the Local Group (LG) in the concordance LCDM and OCDM cosmologies, with identical cosmological parameters apart from the Lambda term. The simulations were performed within a computational box of 64 h^{-1}Mpc centred on the LG. The initial conditions were constrained by the observed peculiar velocities of galaxies and positions of X-ray nearby clusters of galaxies. The simulations faithfully reproduce the nearby large scale structure, and in particular the Local Supercluster and the Virgo cluster. LG-like objects have been selected from the DM halos so as to closely resemble the dynamical properties of the LG. Both the LCDM and OCDM simulations show very similar local Hubble flow around the LG-like objects. It follows that, contrary to recent statements, the dark energy (DE) does not manifest itself in the local dynamics.

A problem of upgrading an optoelectronic scanning system with digital post-processing of the signal based on adequate methods of energy center localization is considered. An improved dynamic triangulation analysis technique is proposed by an example of industrial infrastructure damage detection. A modification of our previously published method aimed at searching for the energy center of an optoelectronic signal is described. Application of the artificial intelligence algorithm of compensation for the error of determining the angular coordinate in calculating the spatial coordinate through dynamic triangulation is demonstrated. Five energy center localization methods are developed and tested to select the best method. After implementation of these methods, digital compensation for the measurement error, and statistical data analysis, a non-parametric behavior of the data is identified. The Wilcoxon signed rank test is applied to improve the result further. For optical scanning systems, it is necessary to detect a light emitter mounted on the infrastructure being investigated to calculate its spatial coordinate by the energy center localization method.

Dark energy must be taken into account to estimate more reliably the amount of dark matter and how it is distributed in the local universe. For systems several Mpc across like the Local Group, we introduce three self-consistent independent mass estimators. These account for the antigravity effect of dark energy treated as Einstein's cosmological constant Lambda. The first is a modified Kahn-Woltjer model which gives a value of the Local Group mass via the particular motions of the two largest members, the Milky Way and M31. Inclusion of dark energy in this model increases the minimum mass estimate by a factor of three compared to the "classical estimate". The increase is less but still significant for different ways of using the timing argument. The second estimator is a modified virial theorem which also demonstrates how dark energy can "hide" from detection a part of the gravitating mass of the system. The third is a new zero-gravity method which gives an upper limit to the group mass which we calculate wit...

We prove exponential spectral localization in a two-particle lattice Anderson model, with a short-range interaction and external random i.i.d. potential, at sufficiently low energies. The proof is based on the multi-particle multi-scale analysis developed earlier by Chulaevsky and Suhov (2009) in the case of high disorder. Our method applies to a larger class of random potentials than in Aizenman and Warzel (2009) where dynamical localization was proved with the help of the fractional moment method.

The paper presents issues of investment effectiveness evaluation in the localenergy market. Results of research presented in the paper are mainly proposing a concept of a methodology which allows the evaluation of investment processes in regional power markets at the decision-making stage. In this respect, selecting a rational investment strategy is an important stage of the entire investment process. In view of criteria of various nature, the construction of a methodology of investment effectiveness bears an especially important meaning for a local decision-maker or investor. It is of particular significance to countries that are undergoing a transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. (orig.)

Microbubbles were added to an algal solution with the goal of improving cell disruption efficiency and the net energy balance for algal biofuel production. Experimental results showed that disruption increases with increasing peak rarefaction ultrasound pressure over the range studied: 1.90 to 3.07 MPa. Additionally, ultrasound cell disruption increased by up to 58% by adding microbubbles, with peak disruption occurring in the range of 10(8)microbubbles/ml. The localization of energy in space and time provided by the bubbles improve efficiency: energy requirements for such a process were estimated to be one-fourth of the available heat of combustion of algal biomass and one-fifth of currently used cell disruption methods. This increase in energy efficiency could make microbubble enhanced ultrasound viable for bioenergy applications and is expected to integrate well with current cell harvesting methods based upon dissolved air flotation.

The U.S. is currently on a path to produce 20% of its electricity from wind energy by 2030, almost a 10-fold increase over present levels of electricity generated from wind. Such high-penetration wind energy deployment will entail extracting elevated energy levels from the planetary boundary layer and preliminary studies indicate that this will have significant but uncertain impacts on the local and regional environment. State and federal regulators have raised serious concerns regarding potential agricultural impacts from large farms deployed throughout the Midwest where agriculture is the basis of the local economy. The effects of large wind farms have been proposed to be both beneficial (drying crops to reduce occurrences of fungal diseases, avoiding late spring freezes, enhancing pollen viability, reducing dew duration) and detrimental (accelerating moisture loss during drought) with no conclusive investigations thus far. As both wind and solar technologies are deployed at scales required to replace conventional technologies, there must be reasonable certainty that the potential environmental impacts at the micro, macro, regional and global scale do not exceed those anticipated from carbon emissions. Largely because of computational limits, the role of large wind farms in affecting regional-scale weather patterns has only been investigated in coarse simulations and modeling tools do not yet exist which are capable of assessing the downwind affects of large wind farms may have on microclimatology. In this presentation, we will outline the vision for and discuss technical and scientific challenges in developing a multi-model high-performance simulation capability covering the range of mesoscale to sub-millimeter scales appropriate for assessing local, regional, and ultimately global environmental impacts and quantifying uncertainties of large scale wind energy deployment scenarios. Such a system will allow continuous downscaling of atmospheric processes on wind

Parameter optimization of the controllable local degree of freedom is studied for reducing vibration of the flexible manipulator at the lowest possible cost.The controllable local degrees of freedom are suggested and introduced to the topological structure of the flexible manipulator,and used as an effective way to alleviate vibration through dynamic coupling.Parameters introduced by the controllable local degrees of freedom are analyzed and their influences on vibration reduction are investigated.A strategy to optimize these parameters is put forward and the corresponding optimization method is suggested based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).Simulations are conducted and results of case studies confirm that the proposed optimization method is effective in reducing vibration of the flexible manipulator at the lowest possible cost.

A uniform localenergy decay result is derived to the linear wave equation with spatial variable coefficients. We deal with this equation in an exterior domain with a star-shaped complement. Our advantage is that we do not assume any compactness of the support on the initial data, and its proof is quite simple. This generalizes a previous famous result due to Morawetz [The decay of solutions of the exterior initial-boundary value problem for the wave equation, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 14 (1961) 561-568]. In order to prove localenergy decay, we mainly apply two types of ideas due to Ikehata-Matsuyama [L2-behaviour of solutions to the linear heat and wave equations in exterior domains, Sci. Math. Japon. 55 (2002) 33-42] and Todorova-Yordanov [Critical exponent for a nonlinear wave equation with damping, J. Differential Equations 174 (2001) 464-489].

The local structure distortion, the spin Hamiltonian (SH) parameters, and the electric fine structure of the ground state for Mn2+(3d5) ion in ZnO crystals are systematically investigated, where spin-spin (SS), spin-other-orbit (SOO) and orbit-orbit (OO) magnetic interactions, besides the well-known spin-orbit (SO) coupling, are taken into account for the first time, by using the complete diagonalization method. The theoretical results of the second-order zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameter D, the fourth-order ZFS parameter (a-F), the Zeeman p-factors: g// and g⊥ and the energy differences of the ground state: δ1 and δ2 for Mn2+ in Mn2+: ZnO are in good agreement with experimental measurements when the three O2- ions below the Mn2+ ion rotate by 1.085° away from the [111]-axis. Hence, the local structure distortion effect plays an important role in explaining the spectroscopic properties of Mn2+ ions in Mn2+: ZnO crystals. It is found for Mn2+ ions in Mn2+: ZnO crystals that although the SO mechanism is the most important one, the contributions to the SH parameters, made by other four mechanisms, i.e. SS, SOO, OO, and SO～SS～SOO～OO mechanisms, are significant and should not be omitted, especially for calculating ZFS parameter D.

The nearest expansion flow of galaxies observed around the Local group is studied as an archetypical example of the newly discovered local expansion flows around groups and clusters of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The flow is accelerating due to the antigravity produced by the universal dark energy background. We introduce a new acceleration measure of the flow which is the dimensionless ``acceleration parameter" Q (x) = x - x-2 depending on the normalized distance x only. The parameter is zero at the zero-gravity distance x = 1, and Q(x) ∝ x, when x ≫ 1. At the distance x = 3, the parameter Q = 2.9. Since the expansion flows have a self-similar structure in normalized variables, we expect that the result is valid as well for all the other expansion flows around groups and clusters of galaxies on the spatial scales from ˜ 1 to ˜ 10 Mpc everywhere in the Universe.

Descriptions are presented for 20 major categories of energy actions providing background information needed for communities to implement energy management programs and explaining where financial and technical help may be available. Chapter 1 provides background on the energy problem, discusses Federal, state and local roles, and outlines the planning process. Chapter 2 is a list of 20 questions to help identify a range of potential actions that could become part of the energy management plan. Chapter 3 will help evaluate each of the twenty potential activities, and chapters 4 and 5 discuss implementing and monitoring the energy management plan. (MCW)

of renewable and efficient heating and cooling solutions in their regions.The main pillar of the strategy development process are local case studies for six municipalities. The goal of these case studies is to develop heating and cooling strategies through a profound analysis of (1) heating and cooling demands......In the progRESsHEAT project, six local cases are analysed. The main objective of the progRESsHEAT project is to support policy makers and public authorities at local, regional and national level in the development and implementation of integrated strategies and policies to enforce the use...... with respect to future developments, (2) long-term potentials of renewable energies and waste heat in the regions, (3) barriers & drivers and (4) a model based assessment of policy intervention in scenarios up to 2050 together with the authorities.For this purpose we apply a geographic information system (GIS...

Location information is a key element of participatory sensing. Many mobile and sensing applications require location information to provide better recommendations, object search and trip planning. However, continuous GPS positioning consumes much energy, which may drain the battery of mobile devices quickly. Although WiFi and cell tower positioning are alternatives, they provide lower accuracy compared to GPS. This paper solves the above problem by proposing a novel localization scheme through the collaboration of multiple mobile devices to reduce energy consumption and provide accurate positioning. Under our scheme, the mobile devices are divided into three groups, namely the broadcaster group, the location information receiver group and the normal participant group. Only the broadcaster group and the normal participant group use their GPS. The location information receiver group, on the other hand, makes use of the locations broadcast by the broadcaster group to estimate their locations. We formulate the broadcaster set selection problem and propose two novel algorithms to minimize the energy consumption in collaborative localization. Simulations with real traces show that our proposed solution can save up to 68% of the energy of all of the participants and provide more accurate locations than WiFi and cellular network positioning.

Full Text Available Location information is a key element of participatory sensing. Many mobile and sensing applications require location information to provide better recommendations, object search and trip planning. However, continuous GPS positioning consumes much energy, which may drain the battery of mobile devices quickly. Although WiFi and cell tower positioning are alternatives, they provide lower accuracy compared to GPS. This paper solves the above problem by proposing a novel localization scheme through the collaboration of multiple mobile devices to reduce energy consumption and provide accurate positioning. Under our scheme, the mobile devices are divided into three groups, namely the broadcaster group, the location information receiver group and the normal participant group. Only the broadcaster group and the normal participant group use their GPS. The location information receiver group, on the other hand, makes use of the locations broadcast by the broadcaster group to estimate their locations. We formulate the broadcaster set selection problem and propose two novel algorithms to minimize the energy consumption in collaborative localization. Simulations with real traces show that our proposed solution can save up to 68% of the energy of all of the participants and provide more accurate locations than WiFi and cellular network positioning.

We study and derive the energy conditions and the Dolgov-Kawasaki (DK) stability criterion in non-local gravity, which is the modified theory of general relativity (GR) obtained by adding a term $m^2R\\Box^{-2}R$ to the Einstein-Hilbert action. Moreover, in order to get some insight on the meaning of the energy conditions, we illustrate the evolutions of four energy conditions with the parameter $\\alpha$ and redshift $z$. By analysis we give the constraint on the parameters $\\alpha$, namely, $|\\alpha|\\leq0.26$. Furthermore, by means of the Dolgov-Kawasaki stability criterion in the non-local gravity we find that the effective mass $m_\\text{eff}^2$ of the dynamical field $U$ is negative in any value ranges of parameter $\\alpha$, which is consistent with the result given in [JCAP 1607, 003 (2016)], i.e. the field $U$ is a ghost one. The result shows that the Dolgov-Kawasaki stability criterion cannot give any constraint on the parameter $\\alpha$.

a wider number of systemic factors at different levels of society, as argued in transition theory, in order to overcome the co-evolving barriers for diffusing energy efficient housing at a more radical and larger scale. The aim of the paper is to look into the formulation of local policies that have...... a theoretical discussion of the significance that the interplay of practices in real time has for conditions for managing transition processes. The study is based on a specific case study, where the Danish municipality of Egedal has engaged in a process of managing a transition towards more energy efficient...... planning authorities may play an important role in managing the transition towards more radical energy efficient housing standards, and lays out some of the challenges in terms of necessary competences among these authorities in order to manage such processes successfully. The paper also argues...

We set to weigh the black holes at their event horizons in various spacetimes and obtain masses which are substantially higher than their asymptotic values. In each case, the horizon mass of a Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordström, or Kerr black hole is found to be twice the irreducible mass observed at infinity. The irreducible mass does not contain electrostatic or rotational energy, leading to the inescapable conclusion that particles with electric charges and spins cannot exist inside a black hole. This is proposed as the External Energy Paradigm. A higher mass at the event horizon and its neighborhood is obligatory for the release of gravitational waves in binary black hole merging. We describe how these horizon mass values are obtained in the quasi-localenergy approach and applied to the black holes of the first gravitational waves GW150914.

In this paper, we investigate the relations between global and localenergy transfers in a turbulent Von K\\'arm\\'an flow. The goal is to understand how and where energy is dissipated in such a flow and to reconstruct the energy cycle in an experimental device where local as well as global quantities can be measured. We use PIV measurements and we model the Reynolds stress tensor to take subgrid scales into account. This procedure involves a free parameter that is calibrated using angular momentum balance. We then estimate the local and global mean injected and dissipated power for several types of impellers, for various Reynolds numbers and for various flow topologies. These PIV-estimates are then compared with direct injected power estimates provided by torque measurements at the impellers. The agreement between PIV-estimates and direct measurements depends on the flow topology. In symmetric situations, we are able to capture up to 90% of the actual global energy dissipation rate. However, our results become...

We propose to use HII galaxies (HIIG) to trace the redshift-distance relation, by means of their $L(\\mathrm{H}\\beta) - \\sigma$ correlation, in an attempt to constrain the dark energy equation of state parameter solution space, as an alternative to the cosmological use of type Ia supernovae. For a sample of 128 local compact HIIG with high equivalent widths of their Balmer emission lines we obtained ionised gas velocity dispersion from high S/N, high-dispersion spectroscopy (Subaru-HDS and ESO VLT-UVES) and integrated H$\\beta$ fluxes from low dispersion wide aperture spectrophotometry. We find that the $L(\\mathrm{H}\\beta) - \\sigma$ relation is strong and stable against restrictions in the sample. The size of the starforming region is an important second parameter, while adding the emission line equivalent width or the continuum colour and metallicity, produces the solution with the smallest rms scatter. We have used the $L(\\mathrm{H}\\beta) - \\sigma$ relation from a local sample of HIIG and a local calibration ...

Danish municipalities are putting climate change high on the agenda with action plans and targets to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reach these targets the municipalities need to engage citizens and the local business sector. In order to find new routes on how to engage and motivate local...... businesses to achieve GHG reductions, seven Danish municipalities (Copenhagen, Albertslund, Allerød, Ballerup, Herning, Kolding and Næstved) have joined forces in an EU LIFE project “Carbon 20”. A key element in the Carbon 20 project is to offer an energy screening free of charge for the participating...... companies. The Carbon 20 project has entered agreements with different energy consultants to provide these screenings for little or no cost - utilising a national scheme obligating the Danish energy utilities to reduce energy use among customers. However, the energy consultants are rather reluctant to offer...

In this work, we present a CS reconstruction based on statistical non-local self-similarity filtering (STAINLeSS), in which the parameters are entirely determined by the noise estimation in the receive channels obtained from a standard noise measurement. The method achieves improved image quality co

In this work, we analyze the effects of Lindhard polarization parameter, χ, on the sum rule, Sp, within the local plasma approximation (LPA) as well as on the logarithmic sum rule Lp = dSp/dp, in both cases for the system in an initial excited state. We show results for a hydrogenic atom with nuc...

Changes in the transverse momentum distributions with beam energy are studied using the Tsallis distribution as a parameterization. The dependence of the Tsallis parameters q, T and the volume are determined as a function of beam energy. The Tsallis parameter q shows a weak but clear increase with beam energy with the highest value being approximately 1.15. The Tsallis temperature and volume are consistent with being independent of beam energy within experimental uncertainties.

The supply, demand, and net imports of seven fuel types of four final consuming sectors for Bureau of Economic Analysis Areas (BEAs), states, census regions, and the nation in 1975 are presented. The data are formatted to present regional energy availability from primary extraction as well as from regional transformation processes. Extensive tables depict energy balances between availability and use for each specific fuel. In keeping with the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, this volume is reported in joules rather than in Btu's. The objective of this series is to provide a consistent base of historic and projected energy information within a standard format. Such a framework should aid regional policymakers in their consideration of regional-growth issues that may be influenced by the regional energy system. For analysis of specific regions, however, this basic data should be supplemented by additional information which only the local policy analyst can bring to bear in his assessment of the energy conditions that characterize his region.

We have applied the diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (DMC) method to calculate the cohesive energy and the structural parameters of the binary oxides CaO, SrO, BaO, Sc2O3, Y2O3, and La2O3. The aim of our calculations is to systematically quantify the accuracy of the DMC method to study this type of metal oxides. The DMC results were compared with local, semi-local, and hybrid Density Functional Theory (DFT) approximations as well as with experimental measurements. The DMC method yields cohesive energies for these oxides with a mean absolute deviation from experimental measurements of 0.18(2) eV, while with local, semi-local, and hybrid DFT approximations, the deviation is 3.06, 0.94, and 1.23 eV, respectively. For lattice constants, the mean absolute deviations in DMC, local, semi-local, and hybrid DFT approximations are 0.017(1), 0.07, 0.05, and 0.04 Å, respectively. DMC is a highly accurate method, outperforming the DFT approximations in describing the cohesive energies and structural parameters of these binary oxides.

In this work, we consider a quantum strongly correlated network described by an Anderson s-d mixing model. By introducing the Green function on the projected formalism of the Schrieffer and Wolf transformation, the energy spectrum of the system can be obtained. Using this result we calculate the survivability distribution of the network and discuss the local magnetism in the network, which shows that the survivability is an important statistical characteristic quantity not just to reflect the network topological property but also dynamics.

We analyse the expression for the centre of mass density of the gravitational field in the context of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity. The purpose is to investigate the localization of dark energy in the three-dimensional space, induced by a cosmological constant in a simple Schwarzschild-de Sitter space-time. We also investigate the gravitational centre of mass density in a particular model of dark matter, in the space-time of a point massive particle and in an arbitrary space-time with axial symmetry. The results are plausible, and lead to the notion of gravitational centre of mass distribution function.

Intermolecular energy transfer of highly excited polyatomic molecules plays an important role in many complex chemical systems: combustion, high temperature and atmospheric chemistry. By monitoring the relaxation of internal energy we have observed trends in the collisional efficiency ({beta}) for energy transfer as a function of the substrate's excitation energy and the complexities of substrate and deactivator. For a given substrate {beta} increases as the deactivator's mass increase to {approximately}30 amu and then exhibits a nearly constant value; this is due to a mass mismatch between the atoms of the colliders. In a homologous series of substrate molecules (C{sub 3}{minus}C{sub 8}) {beta} decreases as the number of atoms in the substrate increases; replacing F with H increases {beta}. All substrates, except for CF{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} and CF{sub 2}HCl below 10,000 cm{sup {minus}1}, exhibited that {beta} is independent of energy, i.e. {sub all} is linear with energy. The results are interpreted with a simple model which considers that {beta} is a function of the ocillators energy and its vibrational frequency. Limitations of current approximations used in high temperature unimolecular reactions were evaluated and better approximations were developed. The importance of energy transfer in product yields was observed for the photoactivation of perfluorocyclopropene and the photoproduction of difluoroethyne. 3 refs., 18 figs., 4 tabs.

have addressed the media at a national or international level. This article investigates the mediating of a local, municipal initiative, i.e. the so-called ‘Energy Town Frederikshavn’ project in northern Denmark, which has set the ambitious goal of complete transition to renewable energy consumption......Climate change mitigation and the transition to environmentally sustainable forms of life have become central public issues, and a number of studies have investigated the role of the media in constructing and distributing representations of climate change and sustainability. Most of these studies...... on the matter. The findings show several differences to national or international representations of climate change and sustainability, such as a prevalent profiling frame and an indication of a reversal of the so-called Giddens’ paradox....

The global images made by the Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) aboard the IASTP/Polar Satellite are used to derive the global auroral energy deposited in the ionosphere resulting from electron precipitation. During a substorm onset, the energy deposited and its location in local time are compared to the solar wind IMF conditions. Previously, insitu measurements of low orbiting satellites have made precipitating particle measurements along the spacecraft track and global images of the auroral zone, without the ability to quantify energyparameters, have been available. However, usage of the high temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution of consecutive UVI images enables quantitative measurement of the energy deposited in the ionosphere not previously available on a global scale. Data over an extended period beginning in January 1997 will be presented.

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Structural changes in molecules are frequently observed during biological processes like replication, transcription and translation. These structural changes can usually be traced to specific distortions in the backbones of the macromolecules involved. Quantitative energetic characterization of such distortions can greatly advance the atomic-level understanding of the dynamic character of these biological processes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Molecular dynamics simulations combined with a variation of the Weighted Histogram Analysis Method for potential of mean force determination are applied to characterize localized structural changes for the test case of cytosine (underlined base flipping in a GTCAGCGCATGG DNA duplex. Free energy landscapes for backbone torsion and sugar pucker degrees of freedom in the DNA are used to understand their behavior in response to the base flipping perturbation. By simplifying the base flipping structural change into a two-state model, a free energy difference of upto 14 kcal/mol can be attributed to the flipped state relative to the stacked Watson-Crick base paired state. This two-state classification allows precise evaluation of the effect of base flipping on local backbone degrees of freedom. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The calculated free energy landscapes of individual backbone and sugar degrees of freedom expectedly show the greatest change in the vicinity of the flipping base itself, but specific delocalized effects can be discerned upto four nucleotide positions away in both 5' and 3' directions. Free energy landscape analysis thus provides a quantitative method to pinpoint the determinants of structural change on the atomic scale and also delineate the extent of propagation of the perturbation along the molecule. In addition to nucleic acids, this methodology is anticipated to be useful for studying conformational changes in all macromolecules, including carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

Full Text Available Applying the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT and the Wigner distribution on a signal in a cascade fashion is equivalent to a rotation of the time and frequency parameters of the Wigner distribution. We presented in ter Morsche and Oonincx, 2002, an integral representation formula that yields affine transformations on the spatial and frequency parameters of the -dimensional Wigner distribution if it is applied on a signal with the Wigner distribution as for the FRFT. In this paper, we show how this representation formula can be used to solve certain energylocalization problems in phase space. Examples of such problems are given by means of some classical results. Although the results on localization problems are classical, the application of generalized Fourier transform enlarges the class of problems that can be solved with traditional techniques.

Renewable energy sources only contribute to a marginal extent to the energy balance of most European towns and cities. Many of them, however, have set ambitious targets for 2010 and have developed programmes to this end. During the seminar organised by Energie-Cites in Verona, around 200 people representing towns and cities from over 20 countries were able to present and exchange experience in all areas related to renewable energy: on practical projects and on their impact on local development, urban planning and employment. It is in towns and cities that energy consumption is the highest and that heat networks working on biomass and buildings equipped with thermal and photovoltaic solar collectors are to be found. Renewable energy has been increasingly gaining ground in urban areas over the last few years for the following reasons: cities are responsible for 80% of total energy consumption and therefore concentrate most of energy needs; the existence of heat networks in densely-populated areas is an incentive to use resources such as biomass or geothermal energy for producing heat or in CHP units; biogas from sewage plants or resulting from the biological treatment of waste is also an urban product; thermal solar systems can often be installed on roof tops to satisfy part of the needs in terms of hot water or space heating and the same applies to photovoltaic solar energy; even wind energy can be promoted, either directly or through green buying procedures. Sustainable urban development depends on the implementation of a sustainable localenergy policy based on the involvement of local authorities in improving energy efficiency and developing the use of renewable energy sources in municipal energy supplies. Local development, employment, social integration, the quality of the air - all being major sources of concern for local decision-makers - are stimulated by the promotion of renewable energy sources. Cities are, on account of their size, capable of defining

This work comprises the development, implementation and application of methods for the parameter identification of damage mechanical constitutive laws. Ductile damage is described on a continuum mechanical basis by extension of the von Mises yield condition with the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman as well as with the Rousselier model. The classical Rousselier model is complemented by accelerated void growth and void nucleation. The non-linear boundary and initial value problem is solved by the finite element system SPC-PMHP, which was developed in the frame of the special research program SFB393 for parallel computers. The material parameters are identified by locally measured displacement fields and measured force-displacement curves. For the material parameter identification a non-linear optimization algorithm is used, which renders the objective function to a minimum by means of a gradient based method. A useful strategy to identify the material parameters was found by careful numerical studies. Finally, using the object grating method the local displacement fields as well as the force-displacement curves are measured at notched flat bar tension specimens made of StE 690 and the parameters of the material are identified. (orig.)

We present a local order parameter based on the standard Steinhardt-Ten Wolde approach that is capable both of tracking and of driving homogeneous ice nucleation in simulations of all-atom models of water. We demonstrate that it is capable of forcing the growth of ice nuclei in supercooled liquid water simulated using the TIP4P/2005 model using over-biassed umbrella sampling Monte Carlo simulations. However, even with such an order parameter, the dynamics of ice growth in deeply supercooled liquid water in all-atom models of water are shown to be very slow, and so the computation of free energy landscapes and nucleation rates remains extremely challenging.

The Mie scattering of electromagnetic waves of wave vector k by spherical negative-refractive-index particles of radius a exhibits an unusual resonance at ka-->0. The scattering enhancement from the ka-->0 resonance is insensitive to the size of scatterers, distinct from the Mie scattering resonances from positive-refractive-index particles. For media consisting of a collection of the negative-refractive-index particles, the unusual resonance results in a significant reduction of the localizationparameter, providing a possibility to reach the light localization transition by reducing the wave vector k, in analogy to electronic systems.

In the present study, the effect of interstitial hydrogen atoms on the mechanical properties and plastic strain localization patterns in tensile tested polycrystals of low-carbon steel Fe-0.07%C has been studied using double exposure speckle photography technique. The main parameters of plastic flow localization at various stages of deformation hardening have been determined in polycrystals of steel electrolytically saturated with hydrogen in a three-electrode electrochemical cell at a controlled constant cathode potential. Also, the effect of hydrogen on changing of microstructure by using optical microscopy has been demonstrated.

This report takes a broad look at the status of local clean energy policies in the United States to develop a better understanding of local clean energy policy development and the interaction between state and local policies. To date, the majority of clean energy policy research focuses on the state and federal levels. While there has been a substantial amount of research on local level climate change initiatives, this is one of the first analyses of clean energy policies separate from climate change initiatives. This report is one in a suite of reports analyzing clean energy and climate policy development at the local, state, and regional levels.

This report takes a broad look at the status of local clean energy policies in the United States to develop a better understanding of local clean energy policy development and the interaction between state and local policies. To date, the majority of clean energy policy research focuses on the state and federal levels. While there has been a substantial amount of research on local level climate change initiatives, this is one of the first analyses of clean energy policies separate from climate change initiatives. This report is one in a suite of reports analyzing clean energy and climate policy development at the local, state, and regional levels.

Mechanisms to generate turbulence in controlled conditions have been studied for nearly a century. Most common methods include passive and active grids with a focus on incompressible turbulence. However, little attention has been given to compressible flows, and even less to hypersonic flows, where phenomena such as thermal non-equilibrium can be present. Using intense energy from lasers, extreme molecule velocities can be generated from photo-dissociation. This creates strong localized changes in both the hydrodynamics and thermodynamics of the flow, which may perturb the flow in a way similar to an active grid to generate turbulence in hypersonic flows. A large database of direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to study the feasibility of such an approach. An extensive analysis of single and two point statistics, as well as spectral dynamics is used to characterize the evolution of the flow towards realistic turbulence. Local measures of enstrophy and dissipation are studied to diagnose the main mechanisms for energy exchange. As commonly done in compressible flows, dilatational and solenoidal components are separated to understand the effect of acoustics on the development of turbulence. Further results for cases that assimilate laboratory conditions will be discussed. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of AFOSR.

The quantum dynamics of a chaotic billiard with moving boundary is considered in this work. We found a shape parameter Hamiltonian expansion which enables us to obtain the spectrum of the deformed billiard for deformations so large as the characteristic wave length. Then, for a specified time dependent shape variation, the quantum dynamics of a particle inside the billiard is integrated directly. In particular, the dispersion of the energy is studied in the Bunimovich stadium billiard with oscillating boundary. The results showed that the distribution of energy spreads diffusively for the first oscillations of the boundary (${ =2 D t$). We studied the diffusion contant $D$ as a function of the boundary velocity and found differences with theoretical predictions based on random matrix theory. By extracting highly phase space localized structures from the spectrum, previous differences were reduced significantly. This fact provides the first numerical evidence of the influence of phase space localization on the...

The calculation of minimum energy or minimum free energy paths is an important step in the quantitative and qualitative studies of chemical and physical processes. The computations of these coordinates present a significant challenge and have attracted considerable theoretical and computational interest. Here we present a new local-global approach to study reaction coordinates, based on a gradual optimization of an action. Like other global algorithms, it provides a path between known reactants and products, but it uses a local algorithm to extend the current path in small steps. The local-global approach does not require an initial guess to the path, a major challenge for global pathway finders. Finally, it provides an exact answer (the steepest descent path) at the end of the calculations. Numerical examples are provided for the Mueller potential and for a conformational transition in a solvated ring system.

With large-scale homogeneity, the universe is locally inhomogeneous, clustering into stars, galaxies and larger structures. Such property is described by the smoothness parameter α which is defined as the proportion of matter in the form of intergalactic medium. If we consider the inhomogeneities over a small scale, there should be modifications of the cosmological distances compared to a homogenous model. Dyer and Roeder developed a second-order ordinary differential equation (DR equation) that describes the angular diameter distance-redshift relation for inhomogeneous cosmological models. Furthermore, we may obtain the D-R equation for observational H(z) data (OHD). The density-parameter ΩM, the state of dark energy w, and the smoothness-parameter a are constrained by a set of OHD in a spatially flat ACDM universe as well as a spatially flat XCDM universe. By using a x2 minimizafion method, we get α = 0.81+0.19-0.20 and ΩM 0.32+0.12-0.06 at the lσ confidence level. If we assume a Gaussian prior of ΩM = 0.26 ± 0.1, we get α=0.93+0.07-0.19 and ΩM=0.31+0.06-0.05. For the XCDM model, c is constrained to α ≥ 0.80 but ω is weakly constrained around -1, where ω describes the equation of state of the dark energy (Px - ωPx). We conclude that OHD constrains the smoothness parameter more effectively than the data of SNe Ia and compact radio sources.

Full Text Available A strongly nonlinear conservative oscillator describing the dynamics of energy partition between two identical linearly coupled Duffing oscillators is introduced and analyzed. Temporal shapes of such oscillator are close to harmonic when the initial energy disbalance between the interacting Duffing oscillators is relatively small. However the oscillator becomes strongly nonlinear as the amplitude of energy exchange increases. It is shown nevertheless that the oscillator is exactly solvable and, as a result, the entire first order averaging system, describing the dynamics of coupled Duffing oscillators, admits exact analytical solution. Based on the first integral of the energy partition oscillator, necessary and sufficient conditions of energylocalization are obtained in terms of the initial states of original system.

An efficient computational algorithm to implement a local operator approach to partitioning electronic energy in general molecular systems is presented. This approach, which rigorously defines the electronic energy on any subsystem within a molecule, gives a precise meaning to the subsystem ground and excited electronic energies, which is crucial for investigating electronic energy transfer from first principles. We apply the technique to the $9-$(($1-$naphthyl)$-$methyl)-anthracene (A1N) molecule by partitioning A1N into anthracenyl and CH$_2-$naphthyl groups as subsystems, and examine their electronic energies and populations for several excited states using Configuration Interaction Singles method. The implemented approach shows a wide variety of different behaviors amongst these excited electronic states.

We investigate the post-Newtonian parameter γ and derive its formalism in generalized non-local (GNL) gravity, which is the modified theory of general relativity (GR) obtained by adding a term m 2 n-2 R☐-n R to the Einstein-Hilbert action. Concretely, based on parametrizing the generalized non-local action in which gravity is described by a series of dynamical scalar fields ϕ i in addition to the metric tensor g μν, the post-Newtonian limit is computed, and the effective gravitational constant as well as the post-Newtonian parameters are directly obtained from the generalized non-local gravity. Moreover, by discussing the values of the parametrized post-Newtonian parameters γ, we can compare our expressions and results with those in Hohmann and Järv et al. (2016), as well as current observational constraints on the values of γ in Will (2006). Hence, we draw restrictions on the nonminimal coupling terms F̅ around their background values.

Evaluation of temperature development and related consumption of energy required for heating, air-conditioning, etc. in low-energy buildings requires the proper physical analysis, covering heat conduction, convection and radiation, including beam and diffusive components of solar radiation, on all building parts and interfaces. The system approach and the Fourier multiplicative decomposition together with the finite element technique offers the possibility of inexpensive and robust numerical and computational analysis of corresponding direct problems, as well as of the optimization ones with several design variables, using the Nelder-Mead simplex method. The practical example demonstrates the correlation between such numerical simulations and the time series of measurements of energy consumption on a small family house in Ostrov u Macochy (35 km northern from Brno).

In this paper, we explore the energy-momentum distribution of locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) spacetimes in the context of the teleparallel theory of gravity by considering the three metrics, I, II and III, representing the whole class of LRS sapcetimes. In this regard, we use the teleparallel versions of the Einstein, Landau-Lifshitz, Bergmann-Thomson, and M$\\ddot{o}$ller prescriptions. The results show that the momentum density components for the Einstein, Bergmann-Thomson, and M$\\ddot{o}$ller prescriptions turn out to be same in all cases of the metrics I, II and III, but are different from those of the Landau- Lifshitz prescription, while the energy components remain the same for these three prescriptions only in all possible cases of the metrics I and II. We mention here that the M$\\ddot{o}$ller energy-momentum distribution is independent of the coupling constant $\\lambda$; that is, these results are valid for any teleparallel models.

Tolman's electronic parameter (TEP) derived from the A1-symmetrical CO stretching frequency of nickel-phosphine-tricarbonyl complexes, R3PNi(CO)3, is brought to a new, improved level by replacing normal with local vibrational frequencies. CO normal vibrational frequencies are always flawed by mode-mode coupling especially with metal-carbon stretching modes, which leads to coupling frequencies as large as 100 cm(-1) and can become even larger when the transition metal and the number of ligands is changed. Local TEP (LTEP) values, being based on local CO stretching force constants rather than normal mode frequencies, no longer suffer from mode coupling and mass effects. For 42 nickel complexes of the type LNi(CO)3, it is shown that LTEP values provide a different ordering of ligand electronic effects as previously suggested by TEP and CEP values. The general applicability of the LTEP concept is demonstrated.

Modelling lithospheric deformation requires specifying mechanisms that promote strain localization. This can be done in different ways, such as the inclusion of weaker zones in the model setup (to initiate subduction or slab tearing, for instance) or using various sorts of weakening processes depending upon temperature, grain-size, fluid content or metamorphic reactions, among others. In most cases, this choice is ad hoc because the relevant parameters are largely unknown, especially at the scale of geodynamic models. Two lines of research have been developed, a traditional one which seeks to determine the rheological parameters of natural or synthetic rocks experimentally, and a more recent one, promoted by the development of fast computing, which aims at reproducing a natural tectonic or rheological evolution through time, not only geometries. The latter requires that the parameters allowing this reproduction are significant at the scale of the model, and which may be different from those obtained in the experimental lab, thus questioning the extrapolation through a wide range of scales of experimental parameters. This apparent discrepancy is due to the intrinsic complexity of the lithosphere, and even more so for the continental lithosphere with its highly heterogeneous crust and its long tectonic history, which implies the co-existence of many different parameters active in nature. In this presentation, we review the main localizing factors and look to the range of scales in which they are significant. Small-scale processes such as grain-size reduction, coexistence of several mineralogical phases with different strength and rheological behaviour, fluid-rock interactions and/or metamorphic reactions, often cannot initiate strain localization in nature but are all efficient to locally reduce the strength of rock material once localization has started. Some exceptions to this rule, however, exist, such as the mixing of ductile and brittle behaviour in the same

This report (one of a series) presents projections of the energy supply, demand, and net imports of seven fuel types (gasoline, distillates, residual oil, crude, natural gas, coal, electricity) and four final consuming sectors. To facilitate detailed regional analysis these projections have been prepared for Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) areas, states, census regions, and the nation for 1985 and 1990. The data are formatted to present regional energy availability from primary extraction, as well as from energy-transformation processes. The tables depict energy balances between availability and use for each specific fuel. The objective of this series is to provide a consistent base of historic and projected energy information within a standard format. Such a framework should aid regional policymakers in their consideration of regional growth issues that may be influenced by the regional energy system. However, for analysis of specific regions, this basic data should be supplemented by additional information which only the local policy analyst can bring to bear in his or her assessment of the energy conditions that characterize the region. Earlier volumes in this series have proved useful for both specific and general analysis of this type, and it is hoped that the current volume will prove equally so. This volume presents an updated benchmark projection series, which captures recent developments in the business as usual projections of energy supply and consumption due to national policy developments since the 1976 National Energy Outlook projection series were prepared.

This dissertation focuses on an integration of energy modeling tools to explore energy transition pathways for emerging economies. The spate of growth in the global South has led to a global energy transition, evidenced in part by a surge in the development of large scale energy infrastructure projects for the provision of reliable electricity service. The rational of energy security and exigency often usher these large scale projects through to implementation with minimal analysis of costs: social and environmental impact, ecological risk, or opportunity costs of alternative energy transition pathways foregone. Furthermore, development of energy infrastructure is inherently characterized by the involvement of a number of state and non-state actors, with varying interests, objectives and access to authority. Being woven through and into social institutions necessarily impacts the design, control and functionality of infrastructure. In this dissertation I therefore conceptualize energy infrastructure as lying at the intersection, or nexus, of people, the environment and energy security. I argue that energy infrastructure plans and policy should, and can, be informed by each of these fields of influence in order to appropriately satisfy local development needs. This case study explores the socio-techno-environmental context of contemporary mega-dam development in northern Borneo. I describe the key actors of an ongoing mega-dam debate and the constellation of their interaction. This highlights the role that information may play in public discourse and lends insight into how inertia in the established system may stymie technological evolution. I then use a combination of power system simulation, ecological modeling and spatial analysis to analyze the potential for, and costs and tradeoffs of, future energy scenarios. In this way I demonstrate reproducible methods that can support energy infrastructure decision making by directly addressing data limitation barriers. I

In this paper, we have studied the solutions of plane-symmetric Universe with variable $\\omega$ in the presence and the absence of magnetic field of energy density $\\rho B$. A special law of variation for Hubble’s parameterproposed by Bermann in {\\it Nuovo Cimento} B 74, 182 (1983) has been utilized to solve the field equations. Some physical and kinematical properties of the models are also discussed.

Indoor wireless localization using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons has attracted considerable attention after the release of the BLE protocol. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that uses the combination of channel-separate polynomial regression model (PRM), channel-separate fingerprinting (FP), outlier detection and extended Kalman filtering (EKF) for smartphone-based indoor localization with BLE beacons. The proposed algorithm uses FP and PRM to estimate the target's location and the distances between the target and BLE beacons respectively. We compare the performance of distance estimation that uses separate PRM for three advertisement channels (i.e., the separate strategy) with that use an aggregate PRM generated through the combination of information from all channels (i.e., the aggregate strategy). The performance of FP-based location estimation results of the separate strategy and the aggregate strategy are also compared. It was found that the separate strategy can provide higher accuracy; thus, it is preferred to adopt PRM and FP for each BLE advertisement channel separately. Furthermore, to enhance the robustness of the algorithm, a two-level outlier detection mechanism is designed. Distance and location estimates obtained from PRM and FP are passed to the first outlier detection to generate improved distance estimates for the EKF. After the EKF process, the second outlier detection algorithm based on statistical testing is further performed to remove the outliers. The proposed algorithm was evaluated by various field experiments. Results show that the proposed algorithm achieved the accuracy of localization accuracy in environments with sparse beacon deployment.

In the paper energy dependence of space-time extent of charged pion source is studied for various ion collisions for all experimentally available energies. There are no sharp changing of femtoscopy parameter values with increasing of $\\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ in domain of collision energies $\\sqrt{s_{NN}} \\geq 5$ GeV. Energy dependence of estimations for emission duration is almost flat for all energy domain under study within large error bars. Analytic function is suggested for smooth approximation of energy dependence of main HBT parameters. Fit curves demonstrate reasonable agreement with experimental data for most femtoscopy parameters in energy domain $\\sqrt{s_{NN}} \\geq 5$ GeV. Estimations of femtoscopy observables are obtained for energies of the LHC and FCC project.

MRD Cl calculations are given for the potential energy along local X-H streching modes in water and acetylene, out to near dissolution. The Cl data points are accurately fitted by Morse functions up to half the well depth, but generalized (five-parameter) Morse functions are required to fit the whole range of data. The implications for the traetment of vibrational overtone levels are discussed, including a comparison of several treatments. Agreement with experimentally derived mode spectra is good, as is the agreement with bond distances and thermochemistry.

Full Text Available Nanostructured multilayers, composed of alternate organic (3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, alkylthiols, polydimethylsiloxane and metallic (gold layers, are grafted onto glass and prepared in order to modify the mechanical and dissipative properties of a thin surface layer of the substrate. The external face is constituted either of gold or alkyl groups, allowing us to study two types of surfaces exhibiting different chemical and thermodynamic properties. The formation and the structure of the nanostructured multilayers are first examined by means of various techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM, wettability, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and conductivity measurements. All the results concerning the structure of the systems studied are used to understand the adhesive properties at short contact times (tack of the multi-layers and an elastomer (polyisoprene. The influence of the structural aspects of gold layers, the length of the alkyl chains of the top layer, the terminal functionality, and the length of the confined organic layer between two gold layers on the energy of adhesion regarding the polyisoprene are clearly demonstrated. The influence of the nano-structured surface layers on adhesion phenomena is explained in terms of either the surface thermodynamics or localenergy dissipation during the propagation of a fracture according to complex mechanisms.

Full Text Available In the present study, the mass attenuation coefficient (μm has been calculated analytically for a locally developed shielding material, polyboron, and compared with the values obtained from the WinXCom code, a Windows version of the XCOM database at the photon energy range 0.001 MeV–20 MeV. A good agreement has been observed between these two values. The linear attenuation coefficients (μ and relaxation lengths (λ have also been calculated from the obtained μm values and their variations with photon energy have been plotted. For comparison, other four shielding materials- ordinary concrete, pure polyethylene, borated polyethylene and water have also been studied. The obtained result shows that μm, μ and λ strongly depends on the photon energy, chemical composition and density of the shielding materials. The values of μm and μ of polyboron have been found greater than those of pure polyethylene and borated polyethylene but less than those of ordinary concrete and water at low photon energy range; and at the intermediate photon energy range (0.125 MeV–6 MeV, all the sample materials have approximately the same μm values. It has also been noticed that polyboron has the medial relaxation length (λ over the entire photon energy range. The total mass attenuation coefficient (μm and linear attenuation coefficient (μ, Half Value Layer (HVL and Tenth Value Layer (TVL of the five sample materials for some common gamma sources have been worked out and the transmission curves have been plotted. The curves exhibit that the transmission factor of the sample materials decreases with the increase in shielding thickness. The results of this study can be utilized to comprehend the shielding effectiveness of this locally developed material.

Full Text Available The diffraction slope parameter is investigated for elastic proton-proton and proton-antiproton scattering based on all the available experimental data at low and intermediate momentum transfer values. Energy dependence of the elastic diffraction slope is approximated by various analytic functions. The expanded “standard” logarithmic approximations with minimum number of free parameters allow description of the experimental slopes in all the available energy range reasonably. The estimations of asymptotic shrinkage parameter αP′ are obtained for various |t| domains based on all the available experimental data. Various approximations differ from each other both in the low energy and very high energy domains. Predictions for diffraction slope parameter are obtained for elastic proton-proton scattering from NICA up to future collider (FCC/VLHC energies, for proton-antiproton elastic reaction in FAIR energy domain for various approximation functions.

The SIESTA approach based on pseudopotentials and a localized basis set is used to calculate the electronic, elastic and equilibrium properties of P 2{sub 1}/c, Pbca, Pnma, Fm3m, P4{sub 2}nmc and Pa3 phases of HfO{sub 2}. Using separable Troullier-Martins norm-conserving pseudopotentials which include partial core corrections for Hf, we tested important physical properties as a function of the basis set size, grid size and cut-off ratio of the pseudo-atomic orbitals (PAOs). We found that calculations in this oxide with the LDA approach and using a minimal basis set (simple zeta, SZ) improve calculated phase transition pressures with respect to the double-zeta basis set and LDA (DZ-LDA), and show similar accuracy to that determined with the PPPW and GGA approach. Still, the equilibrium volumes and structural properties calculated with SZ-LDA compare better with experiments than the GGA approach. The bandgaps and elastic and structural properties calculated with DZ-LDA are accurate in agreement with previous state of the art ab initio calculations and experimental evidence and cannot be improved with a polarized basis set. These calculated properties show low sensitivity to the PAO localizationparameter range between 40 and 100 meV. However, this is not true for the relative energy, which improves upon decrease of the mentioned parameter. We found a non-linear behaviour in the lattice parameters with pressure in the P 2{sub 1}/c phase, showing a discontinuity of the derivative of the a lattice parameter with respect to external pressure, as found in experiments. The common enthalpy values calculated with the minimal basis set give pressure transitions of 3.3 and 10.8?GPa for P2{sub 1}/c {yields} Pbca and Pbca {yields} Pnma, respectively, in accordance with different high pressure experimental values.

The central goal of jet quenching studies in high-energy nuclear collisions is the characterization of those QCD medium properties that are accessible by these probes. Most of the discussion in the last years has been focused on the determination of the jet quenching parameter, q. We present here an extraction of this parameter using data of inclusive particle suppression at RHIC and LHC energies for different centralities. Our approach consists in fitting a K factor that quantifies the departure of this parameter from an ideal estimate, K ≡ q/(2ε{sup 3/4}), where q is determined by the local medium quantities as provided by hydrodynamical calculations. We find that this K factor is larger at RHIC than at the LHC, as obtained already in previous analyses, but, surprisingly, it is almost independent of the centrality of the collision. Taken at face value, the K factor would not depend on the local properties of the medium as energy density or temperature, but on global collision quantities such as the center of mass energy. This is a very intriguing, unexpected possibility for which we cannot yet provide a clear interpretation. We also comment on the limitations of the formalism that may affect this conclusion. (orig.)

The central goal of jet quenching studies in high-energy nuclear collisions is the characterization of those QCD medium properties that are accessible by these probes. Most of the discussion in the last years has been focused on the determination of the jet quenching parameter, hat{q}. We present here an extraction of this parameter using data of inclusive particle suppression at RHIC and LHC energies for different centralities. Our approach consists in fitting a K factor that quantifies the departure of this parameter from an ideal estimate, K≡ hat{q}/(2ɛ ^{3/4}), where hat{q} is determined by the local medium quantities as provided by hydrodynamical calculations. We find that this K factor is larger at RHIC than at the LHC, as obtained already in previous analyses, but, surprisingly, it is almost independent of the centrality of the collision. Taken at face value, the K factor would not depend on the local properties of the medium as energy density or temperature, but on global collision quantities such as the center of mass energy. This is a very intriguing, unexpected possibility for which we cannot yet provide a clear interpretation. We also comment on the limitations of the formalism that may affect this conclusion.

The symmetry energy, temperature, density and isoscaling parameter, in $^{58}$Ni + $^{58}$Ni, $^{58}$Fe + $^{58}$Ni and $^{58}$Fe + $^{58}$Fe reactions at beam energies of 30, 40 and 47 MeV/nucleon, are studied as a function of excitation energy of the multifragmenting source. It is shown that the decrease in the isoscaling parameter is related to the near flattening of the temperature in the caloric curve, and the decrease in the density and the symmetry energy with increasing excitation energy. The decrease in the symmetry energy is mainly a consequence of decreasing density with increasing excitation rather than the increasing temperature. The symmetry energy as a function of density obtained from the correlation is in close agreement with the form, E$_{sym}(\\rho)$ $=$ 31.6 ($\\rho/\\rho_{\\circ})^{0.69}$.

A recursive structure from motion algorithm based on optical flow measurements taken from an image sequence is described. It provides estimates of surface normals in addition to 3D motion and depth. The measurements are affine motion parameters which approximate the local flow fields associated with near-planar surface patches in the scene. These are integrated over time to give estimates of the 3D parameters using an extended Kalman filter. This also estimates the camera focal length and, so, the 3D estimates are metric. The use of parametric measurements means that the algorithm is computationally less demanding than previous optical flow approaches and the recursive filter builds in a degree of noise robustness. Results of experiments on synthetic and real image sequences demonstrate that the algorithm performs well.

Full Text Available The present study was conducted with an objective of establishing a relationship between various routine semen evaluation parameters. Work was conducted at Sperm Station Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, on the semen from five Jersey X local hill cattle crossbred breeding bulls. A total of 40 ejaculates (8 from each bull, were analysed at five different stages of processing namely post dilution, post equilibration, post thaw and after 1 and 2 hours incubation post thaw at 37°C for progressive motility, live dead count, reaction to hypo-osmotic solution, acrosomal integrity and gross morphological abnormalities. The results of the study revealed a highly significant (P<0.01 correlation between the various semen evaluation parameters except for the gross morphological abnormalities where there was a significant (P<0.05 negative correlation between the acrosomal integrity and gross morphological abnormalities.

The effect of on Changes in dielectric parameters of the skin (modulus of complex dielectric permittivity |e| and dielectric loss tangent tgd) were studied on rats with local surface contact cooling followed by treatment with various cream formulations. Addition of antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) to the cream significantly prevented the shifts in these parameters, which attested to less pronounced changes in the water balance in SOD-treated skin. Application of SOD during the early terms after cooling accelerated wound healing. Histological examination performed on posttraumatic day 60 revealed better integrity of the skin structures (hair follicle, sweat and sebaceous gland), which indicates ability of SOD to prevent and ameliorate the degree of cold-induced damage in the skin.

An energy reclaiming suspension is proposed to reclaim vibration energy in the suspension.To study its riding performance and reclaiming energy performance,a hydraulic energy reclaiming device prototype is produced and its mechanical behavior is analyzed and tested according to the hydraulic theory.Theoretical analysis shows that mechanical behavior of the energy reclaiming device is embodied by a viscidity damping parameter and an analogous coulomb damping parameter determined by its structure;their expressions are obtained.Experimental investigation shows that theoretical predictions agree with test results.

Analyses of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers of known location and disease phenotypes often provide valuable information in efforts to clone the causative genes. However, there exist a number of factors which may attenuate a consistent inverse relationship between physical distance and LD for a given pairing of a genetic marker and a human disease gene. Chief among these is the effect of the general population frequency of an allele which demonstrates LD with a disease gene. Possibly as a result of this, a number of methods of calculating LD has been proposed. We have calculated seven such LD parameters for twelve physically mapped RFLP`s from a 1.3 Mb DM gene containing region of 19q13.3 using 107 DM and 213 non-DM chromosomes. Correlation of the DM-marker physical distance with LD for the 12 loci reveals the Yule coefficient and Dij{prime} parameter to give the most consistent relationship. The D{prime} parameter shown to have a relative allele frequency independence gave only a weak correlation. A similar analysis is being carried out on published cystic fibrosis genetic and physical mapping data. The parameters identified in this study may be the most appropriate for future LD based localizations of disease genes.

Using an empirical data set, we investigated variation in factor model parameters across a continuous moderator variable and demonstrated three modeling approaches: multiple-group mean and covariance structure (MGMCS) analyses, local structural equation modeling (LSEM), and moderated factor analysis (MFA). We focused on how to study variation in factor model parameters as a function of continuous variables such as age, socioeconomic status, ability levels, acculturation, and so forth. Specifically, we formalized the LSEM approach in detail as compared with previous work and investigated its statistical properties with an analytical derivation and a simulation study. We also provide code for the easy implementation of LSEM. The illustration of methods was based on cross-sectional cognitive ability data from individuals ranging in age from 4 to 23 years. Variations in factor loadings across age were examined with regard to the age differentiation hypothesis. LSEM and MFA converged with respect to the conclusions. When there was a broad age range within groups and varying relations between the indicator variables and the common factor across age, MGMCS produced distorted parameter estimates. We discuss the pros of LSEM compared with MFA and recommend using the two tools as complementary approaches for investigating moderation in factor model parameters.

Ryabinkin and Staroverov [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 084107 (2014)] extended the concept of average local ionization energy (ALIE) to correlated wavefunctions by defining the generalized ALIE as Ī(r)=-∑jλj|fj(r)|(2)/ρ(r), where λj are the eigenvalues of the generalized Fock operator and fj(r) are the corresponding eigenfunctions (energy orbitals). Here we show that one can equivalently express the generalized ALIE as Ī(r)=∑kIk|dk(r)|(2)/ρ(r), where Ik are single-electron removal energies and dk(r) are the corresponding Dyson orbitals. The two expressions for Ī(r) emphasize different physical interpretations of this quantity; their equivalence enables one to calculate the ALIE at any level of ab initio theory without generating the computationally expensive Dyson orbitals.

The critical micellar concentration (CMC) of the local anaesthetic agent heptacainium chloride in the solution of KBr was determined by the spectrophotometric method in the UV region of the spectrum at the temperature range of t = 20-40 degrees C and pH = 4.5-5.0. The dependence of CMC on the temperature T turned out forming the U-shape with the minimum at the temperature of t = 25 degrees C. The parabolic dependence of CMC on the temperature T was drawn by the fitting of the values using the polynomial function and the so-called power law equation. The CMC dependence on the temperature T was fitted by the second degree polynomial function. The obtained parabolic equations were applied to the "phase separation model", so the following thermodynamic parameters could be calculated: standard Gibbs free energy (deltaG), enthalpy (deltaH degrees), and entropy (deltaS degrees). The thermodynamic parameters were further used to determine the so-called entropy-enthalpy compensation of the systems under study. The compensation temperature was in the following range: (301 +/- 1-303 +/- 3)K. Then the temperature dependence of the enthalpy (deltaH degrees) and entropy (-TdeltaS degrees) contributions to the standard Gibbs free energy (deltaG degrees) for all prepared concentrations of the compound were calculated.

Full Text Available Indoor wireless localization using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE beacons has attracted considerable attention after the release of the BLE protocol. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that uses the combination of channel-separate polynomial regression model (PRM, channel-separate fingerprinting (FP, outlier detection and extended Kalman filtering (EKF for smartphone-based indoor localization with BLE beacons. The proposed algorithm uses FP and PRM to estimate the target’s location and the distances between the target and BLE beacons respectively. We compare the performance of distance estimation that uses separate PRM for three advertisement channels (i.e., the separate strategy with that use an aggregate PRM generated through the combination of information from all channels (i.e., the aggregate strategy. The performance of FP-based location estimation results of the separate strategy and the aggregate strategy are also compared. It was found that the separate strategy can provide higher accuracy; thus, it is preferred to adopt PRM and FP for each BLE advertisement channel separately. Furthermore, to enhance the robustness of the algorithm, a two-level outlier detection mechanism is designed. Distance and location estimates obtained from PRM and FP are passed to the first outlier detection to generate improved distance estimates for the EKF. After the EKF process, the second outlier detection algorithm based on statistical testing is further performed to remove the outliers. The proposed algorithm was evaluated by various field experiments. Results show that the proposed algorithm achieved the accuracy of <2.56 m at 90% of the time with dense deployment of BLE beacons (1 beacon per 9 m, which performs 35.82% better than <3.99 m from the Propagation Model (PM + EKF algorithm and 15.77% more accurate than <3.04 m from the FP + EKF algorithm. With sparse deployment (1 beacon per 18 m, the proposed algorithm achieves the accuracies of <3.88 m at

Converse, Goshen, Laramie, and Platte counties were selected in accordance with a legislative directive as part of a project to determine the impact of the oil and gas industry on county infrastructure. This thesis takes into account the impact of county gravel roads and strategies used to help develop methods to assess and mitigate this impact. With a lacking road and bridge budget, these counties are only just keeping up with the current impact. In order to receive additional funding from the state legislature, actual impact needs to be assessed. The different distresses and ride quality of all the county gravel roads showed that, on average, the roads were in good condition, no matter the level of impact. However, the cost to keep the impacted roads in this condition came at a much greater price. By modeling the data gathered in this study and comparing the differences between impacted and non-impacted roads, a better understanding of the degradation taking place and the main causes were examined and valuable information was attained. A priority ranking for impacted roads was also assessed to determine the severity of the impact for each county and to supply maintenance recommendations and costs for each road. This was done in hopes that the information from this model will then be used for more efficient maintenance strategies and a more cost effective use of the county's budget so that the counties may continue to keep up with the energy impacts. The process developed in this study could be very useful for other local agencies impacted by energy development.

A set of the mathematical formulas to estimate the accuracy of discrimination parameters for two implementations of the dual high energy method - by the effective atomic number and by the level lines is given. The hardware parameters which influenced on the accuracy of the discrimination parameters are stated. The recommendations to form the structure of the high energy X-ray radiation impulses are formulated. To prove the applicability of the proposed procedure there were calculated the statistical errors of the discrimination parameters for the cargo inspection system of the Tomsk polytechnic university on base of the portable betatron MIB-9. The comparison of the experimental estimations and the theoretical ones of the discrimination parameter errors was carried out. It proved the practical applicability of the algorithm to estimate the discrimination parameter errors for the dual high energy method.

The powerful framework of cluster expansion–cluster variation methods (CE–CVM) expresses alloy free energy in terms of energy (model) parameters, macroscopic variables (composition and temperature) and microscopic variables (correlation functions). A simultaneous optimization of thermodynamic and phase equilibria data using CE–CVM is critically dependent on giving good initial values of energyparameters, macroscopic and microscopic variables, respectively. No standard method for obtaining the initial values of the energyparameters is available in literature. As a starting point, a method has been devised to estimate the values of energyparameters from consolute point (miscibility gap maximum) data. Empirical relations among energyparameters, temperature (c), composition (c) and 2}/2 at the consolute point, have been developed using CE–CVM free energy functions for bcc and fcc structures in the tetrahedron and tetrahedron–octahedron approximations, respectively. Thus from the observed data of c, c and 2}/2 in the above relations, good initial values of energyparameters can be obtained. Further, a necessary modification to the classical NR method for solving simultaneous nonlinear/transcendental equations with a double root in one variable and a simple root in the other has been presented.

Full Text Available In recent years, plasma technology is used by Semiconductor, thin film industries for deposit layers, etching process and surface modification. So it is necessary to understanding internal plasma parameter. Langmuir probe is one of the simplest techniques which is used to measure wide range of plasma parameter like plasma potential, floating potential, electron temperature, electron energy distribution function (EEDF etc. Langmuir current voltage characteristic is obtained by varying bias voltage of the probe. LabVIEW is most powerful Microsoft window compatible software which is used to immediate data acquisition and analysis. In this paper describes analysis of Langmuir data using LabVIEW software which automatically measure I-V Plasma probe Characteristics and obtain EEDF of plasma.

Full Text Available Abstract A two-phase flow experiment using air and water-based γ-Al2O3 nanofluid was conducted to observe the basic hydraulic phenomenon of nanofluids. The local two-phase flow parameters were measured with a conductivity double-sensor two-phase void meter. The void fraction, interfacial velocity, interfacial area concentration, and mean bubble diameter were evaluated, and all of those results using the nanofluid were compared with the corresponding results for pure water. The void fraction distribution was flattened in the nanofluid case more than it was in the pure water case. The higher interfacial area concentration resulted in a smaller mean bubble diameter in the case of the nanofluid. This was the first attempt to measure the local two-phase flow parameters of nanofluids using a conductivity double-sensor two-phase void meter. Throughout this experimental study, the differences in the internal two-phase flow structure of the nanofluid were identified. In addition, the heat transfer enhancement of the nanofluid can be resulted from the increase of the interfacial area concentration which means the available area of the heat and mass transfer.

Energy conservation in residential and commercial buildings is considered a key challenge and opportunity for low-carbon urban development. In cities worldwide, energy conservation initiatives have been realized that demonstrate the social, financial, and environmental benefits that energy conservat

We demonstrate that GA-MHYPO determines accurate hypocentral parameters for local earthquakes under ill conditions, such as limited number of stations (phase data), large azimuthal gap, and noisy data. The genetic algorithm (GA) in GA-MHYPO searches for the optimal 1-D velocity structure which provides the minimum traveltime differences between observed (true) and calculated P and S arrivals within prescribed ranges. GA-MHYPO is able to determine hypocentral parameters more accurately in many circumstances than conventional methods which rely on an a priori (and possibly incorrect) 1-D velocity model. In our synthetic tests, the accuracy of hypocentral parameters obtained by GA-MHYPO given ill conditions is improved by more than a factor of 20 for error-free data, and by a factor of five for data with errors, compared to that obtained by conventional methods such as HYPOINVERSE. In the case of error-free data, GA-MHYPO yields less than 0.1 km errors in focal depths and hypocenters without strong dependence on azimuthal coverage up to 45°. Errors are less than 1 km for data with errors of a 0.1-s standard deviation. To test the performance using real data, a well-recorded earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone and earthquakes recorded under ill conditions in the High Himalaya are relocated by GA-MHYPO. The hypocentral parameters determined by GA-MHYPO under both good and ill conditions show similar computational results, which suggest that GA-MHYPO is robust and yields more reliable hypocentral parameters than standard methods under ill conditions for natural earthquakes.

The test field alpha ventus is the first operating German offshore parks for wind energy. Twelve Wind Energy Converters (WECs) of the 5 MW-class are installed, both, for commercial and research reasons. Due to upcoming mass production and uncertainties in loads and behaviour, monitoring the foundation of these structures was desired. Two goals addressed are the extraction of modal parameters for model validation and the estimation of condition parameters to allow a hypothesis of the system's state. In a first step the largedatabase is classified by Environmental and Operational Conditions (EOCs) through affinity propagation which is a new approach for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) on wind turbines. Further, system identification through data driven stochastic subspace identification (SSI) is performed. A new, automated approach called triangulation-based extraction of modal parapeters (TEMP), using stability diagrams, is a key focus of the presented research. Finally, extraction of condition parameters for tower accelerations classified by EOCs, based on covariance driven SSI and Vector Auto-Regressive (VAR) Models, is performed for several observation periods from one to 16 weeks. These parameters and their distributions provide a base line for long term observations.

Comprehensive diagnostics has been carried out for a RF ion thruster based on inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source with an external flat antenna coil enhanced by ferrite core. The ICP was confined within a cylindrical chamber with low aspect ratio to minimize plasma loss to the chamber wall. Integral diagnostics of the ICP electrical parameters (RF power balance and coil current) allowed for evaluation of the antenna coils, matching networks, and eddy current loss and the true RF power deposited to plasma. Spatially resolved electron energy distribution functions, plasma density, electron temperatures, and plasma potentials were measured with movable Langmuir probes.

The central goal of jet quenching studies in high-energy nuclear collisions is the characterization of those QCD medium properties that are accessible by these probes. Most of the discussion in the last years has been focused on the determination of the jet quenching parameter, $\\hat q$. We present here an extraction of this parameter using data of inclusive particle suppression at RHIC and LHC energies for different centralities. Our approach consists of fitting a $K$ factor that quantifies the departure of this parameter from an ideal estimate, $K\\equiv \\hat q/(2\\epsilon^{3/4})$, where $\\hat q$ is determined by the local medium quantities as provided by hydrodynamical calculations. We find that this $K$ factor is larger at RHIC than at the LHC, as obtained already in previous analyses, but, surprisingly, it is almost independent of the centrality of the collision. Taken at face value, the $K$ factor would not depend on the local properties of the medium as energy density or temperature, but on global collis...

Forecasting of the urban weather and climate is of great importance as our cities become more populated and considering the combined effects of global warming and local land use changes which make urban inhabitants more vulnerable to e.g. heat waves and flash floods. In meso/global scale models, urban parameterization schemes are used to represent the urban effects. However, these schemes require a large set of input parameters related to urban morphological and thermal properties. Obtaining all these parameters through direct measurements are usually not feasible. A number of studies have reported on parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis to adjust and determine the most influential parameters for land surface schemes in non-urban areas. Similar work for urban areas is scarce, in particular studies on urban parameterization schemes in tropical cities have so far not been reported. In order to address above issues, the town energy balance (TEB) urban parameterization scheme (part of the SURFEX land surface modeling system) was subjected to a sensitivity and optimization/parameter estimation experiment at a suburban site in, tropical Singapore. The sensitivity analysis was carried out as a screening test to identify the most sensitive or influential parameters. Thereafter, an optimization/parameter estimation experiment was performed to calibrate the input parameter. The sensitivity experiment was based on the "improved Sobol's global variance decomposition method" . The analysis showed that parameters related to road, roof and soil moisture have significant influence on the performance of the model. The optimization/parameter estimation experiment was performed using the AMALGM (a multi-algorithm genetically adaptive multi-objective method) evolutionary algorithm. The experiment showed a remarkable improvement compared to the simulations using the default parameter set. The calibrated parameters from this optimization experiment can be used for further model

Danish municipalities are putting climate change high on the agenda with action plans and targets to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reach these targets the municipalities need to engage citizens and the local business sector. In order to find new routes on how to engage and motivate local...... businesses to achieve GHG reductions, seven Danish municipalities (Copenhagen, Albertslund, Allerød, Ballerup, Herning, Kolding and Næstved) have joined forces in an EU LIFE project “Carbon 20”. A key element in the Carbon 20 project is to offer an energy screening free of charge for the participating...... emission reductions. It concludes that all the actors seem interested in continuing expanding the cooperation, however all also stresses that the current set-up needs to be improved to secure a clear win-win-win situation for all parties....

Full Text Available The successful deployment of the energy transition relies on a deep reorganization of the energy market. Business model innovation is recognized as a key driver of this process. This work contributes to this topic by providing to potential LocalEnergy Management stakeholders and policy makers a conceptual framework guiding the LocalEnergy Management business model innovation. The main determinants characterizing LocalEnergy Management concepts and impacting its business model innovation are identified through literature reviews on distributed generation typologies and customer/investor preferences related to new business opportunities emerging with the energy transition. Afterwards, the relation between the identified determinants and the LocalEnergy Management business model solution space is analyzed based on semi-structured interviews with managers of Swiss utilities companies. The collected managers’ preferences serve as explorative indicators supporting the business model innovation process and provide insights to policy makers on challenges and opportunities related to LocalEnergy Management.

The main purpose of the present paper is to investigate LRS Bianchi type I metric in the presence of perfect fluid and dark energy. In order to obtain a deterministic solution of the field equations we have assumed that, the two sources of the perfect fluid and dark energy interact minimally with separate conservation of their energy momentum tensors. The EoS parameter of the perfect fluid is also assumed to be constant. In addition to these we have used a special law of variation of Hubble parameter proposed by Berman that yields constant deceleration parameter. For two different values of the constant deceleration parameters we have obtained two different cosmological models. The physical behaviors of both the models have been discussed by using some physical parameters.

Canonical-dissipative nonequilibrium energy distributions play an important role in the life sciences. In one of the most fundamental forms, such energy distributions correspond to two-parametric normal distributions truncated to the left. We present an implicit moment method involving the first and second energy moments to estimate the distribution parameters. It is shown that the method is consistent with Cohen's 1949 formula. The implementation of the algorithm is discussed and the range of admissible parameter values is identified. In addition, an application to an earlier study on human oscillatory hand movements is presented. In this earlier study, energy was conceptualized as the energy of a Hamiltonian oscillator model. The canonical-dissipative approach allows for studying the systematic change of the model parameters with oscillation frequency. It is shown that the results obtained with the implicit moment method are consistent with those derived in the earlier study by other means.

A crucial issue in piezoelectric energy harvesting is the efficiency of the mechanical to electrical conversion process. Several techniques have been investigated in order to obtain a set of optimum design parameters that will lead to the best performance of the harvester in terms of electrical power generation. Once an optimum design is reached it is also important to consider uncertainties in the selected parameters that in turn can lead to loss of performance in the energy conversion process. The main goal of this paper is to perform a comprehensive discussion of the effects of multi-parameter aleatory uncertainties on the performance and design optimization of a given energy harvesting system. For that, a typical energy harvester consisting of a cantilever beam carrying a tip mass and partially covered by piezoelectric layers on top and bottom surfaces is considered. A distributed parameter electromechanical modal of the harvesting system is formulated and validated through experimental tests. First, the SQP (Sequential Quadratic Planning) optimization is employed to obtain an optimum set of parameters that will lead to best performance of the harvester. Second, once the optimum harvester configuration is found random perturbations are introduced in the key parameters and Monte Carlo simulations are performed to investigate how these uncertainties propagate and affect the performance of the device studied. Numerically simulated results indicate that small variations in some design parameters can cause a significant variation in the output electrical power, what strongly suggests that uncertainties must be accounted for in the design of beam energy harvesting systems.

One of the new methods for powering low-power electronic devices at sea is a wave energy harvesting system. In this method, piezoelectric material is employed to convert the mechanical energy of sea waves into electrical energy. The advantage of this method is based on avoiding a battery charging system. Studies have been done on energy harvesting from sea waves, however, considering energy harvesting with random JONSWAP wave theory, then determining the optimum values of energy harvested is new. This paper does that by implementing the JONSWAP wave model, calculating produced power, and realistically showing that output power is decreased in comparison with the more simple Airy wave model. In addition, parameters of the energy harvester system are optimized using a simulated annealing algorithm, yielding increased produced power.

We propose a domain decomposition formalism specifically designed for the identification of local elastic parameters based on full-field measurements. This technique is made possible by a multi-scale implementation of the constitutive compatibility method. Contrary to classical approaches, the constitutive compatibility method resolves first some eigenmodes of the stress field over the structure rather than directly trying to recover the material properties. A two steps micro/macro reconstruction of the stress field is performed: a Dirichlet identification problem is solved first over every subdomain, the macroscopic equilibrium is then ensured between the subdomains in a second step. We apply the method to large linear elastic 2D identification problems to efficiently produce estimates of the material properties at a much lower computational cost than classical approaches.

Full Text Available The rule-based logic threshold control strategy has been frequently used in energy management strategies for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs owing to its convenience in adjusting parameters, real-time performance, stability, and robustness. However, the logic threshold control parameters cannot usually ensure the best vehicle performance at different driving cycles and conditions. For this reason, the optimization of key parameters is important to improve the fuel economy, dynamic performance, and drivability. In principle, this is a multiparameter nonlinear optimization problem. The logic threshold energy management strategy for an all-wheel-drive HEV is comprehensively analyzed and developed in this study. Seven key parameters to be optimized are extracted. The optimization model of key parameters is proposed from the perspective of fuel economy. The global optimization method, DIRECT algorithm, which has good real-time performance, low computational burden, rapid convergence, is selected to optimize the extracted key parameters globally. The results show that with the optimized parameters, the engine operates more at the high efficiency range resulting into a fuel savings of 7% compared with non-optimized parameters. The proposed method can provide guidance for calibrating the parameters of the vehicle energy management strategy from the perspective of fuel economy.

The fundamental concepts of the building design process, energy codes and standards, and energy budgets are introduced. These tools were combined into Energy Design Guidelines and design contract requirements. The Guidelines were repackaged for a national audience and a videotape for selling the concept to government executives. An effort to test transfer of the Guidelines to outside agencies is described.

The electron paramagnetic resonance parameters, zero-ﬁeld splittings (ZFSs) b$_{2}^{0}$, b$_{4}^{0}$, b$_{4}^{4}$, b$_{6}^{0}$, b$_{6}^{4}$ and the factors for Gd3+ on the tetragonal Y3+ site in KY3F10 are theoretically studied from the superposition model for the ZFSs and the approximation formula for the factor containing the admixture of the ground 8S7/2 and the excited 6L7/2 (L=P, D, F, G) states via the spin–orbit coupling interactions, respectively. By analysing the above ZFSs, the local structure information for the impurity Gd3+ is obtained, i.e., the impurity–ligand bonding angles related to the four-fold (C4) axis for the impurity Gd3+ center are found to be about 0.6° larger than those for the host Y3+ site in KY3F10. The calculated ZFSs based on the above angular distortion as well as the factors are in reasonable agreement with the observed values. The present studies on the ZFSs and the local structure would be helpful to understand the optical and magnetic properties of this material with Gd dopants.

Full Text Available These studies were conducted to determine the effects of two varieties of sorghum, Samsorg 17 and ICSV 400 on the haematological and serum biochemical parameters of local turkey breeds, reared in Nigeria. Two hundred and sixteen poults were divided into 9 treatment groups of 24 each, which were further replicated thrice and fed starter diets containing Samsorg 17 and ICSV 400. Similar (P > 0.05 RBC and PCV values were obtained with the two diets. Samsorg 17 fed poults produced lower, though not significantly (P > 0.05 serum albumin, glucose, urea, creatinine, sodium, chloride, ALP, SGPT and SGOT values than those on ICSV 400 diet. Higher RBC, MCHC, MCH, MCV and PCV values were observed with Samsorg 17 fed turkeys than those on ICSV 400 diets. Serum glucose and creatinine decreased and SGOT increased with dietary sorghum. Similar (p > 0.05 Hb, WBC, MCHC, MCV and PCV values were obtained in all groups. Values of serum biochemical indices assayed except urea, calcium, potassium and chloride showed no significant (p > 0.05 differences among the treatment groups. It was therefore concluded that Samsorg 17 and ICSV 400 sorghum varieties could sustain local turkey production without any on toward effects on their haematological and serum biochemical indices.

In this paper, we constrain dark energy models using a compendium of observations at low redshifts. We consider the dark energy as a barotropic fluid, with the equation of state a constant as well the case where dark energy equation of state is a function of time. The observations considered here are Supernova Type Ia data, Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation data and Hubble parameter measurements. We compare constraints obtained from these data and also do a combined analysis. The combined observational constraints put strong limits on variation of dark energyenergy density with redshift. For varying dark energy models, the range of parameters preferred by the supernova type Ia data is in tension with the other low redshift distance measurements.

Values of deformation parameters have been extracted from macroscopic coupled-channels analyses of inelastic proton scattering to the first 2 , 3 , and 4 states of SC over the energy range from 200 to 700 MeV. The apparent deformations are almost unchanged over this energy interval; they agree also with nucleon scattering data at much lower energies and at 800 MeV and 1 GeV.

Process fuel equivalent (PFE) is an energy audit parameter which takes care of all the factors involved in the manufacturing process. In this parameter, all energy items--direct or indirect including those of purchased reagents, fluxes and other raw materials--are converted into a single variable fuel equivalent, and indicated the same in appropriate energy units. PFE value is an inverse order of efficiency--a low value corresponds to high efficiency. In this article, the PFE method has been used for production of copper from mine to wire bar.

Within the scope of an anisotropic Bianchi type-V cosmological model we have studied the evolution of the universe. The assumption of a diagonal energy-momentum tensor leads to some severe restriction on the metric functions, which on its part imposes restriction on the components of the energy momentum tensor. This model allows anisotropic matter distribution. Further using the proportionality condition that relates the shear scalar $(\\sigma)$ in the model is proportional to expansion scalar $(\\vartheta)$ and the variation law of Hubble parameter, connecting Hubble parameter with volume scale. Exact solution to the corresponding equations are obtained. The EoS parameter for dark energy as well as deceleration parameter is found to be the time varying functions. A qualitative picture of the evolution of the universe corresponding to different of its stages is given using the latest observational data.

Optimizing energy performance of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs) is the key for embedding Spin Transfer Torque-Random Access Memory (STT-RAM) in low power circuits. Due to the complex interdependencies of the parameters and variables of the device operating energy, it is important to analyse parameters with most effective control of MTJ power. The impact of threshold current density, Jco , on the energy and the impact of HK on Jco are studied analytically, following the expressions that stem from Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski (LLGS-STT) model. In addition, the impact of other magnetic material parameters, such as Ms , and geometric parameters such as tfree and λ is discussed. Device modelling study was conducted to analyse the impact at the circuit level. Nano-magnetism simulation based on NMAGTM package was conducted to analyse the impact of controlling HK on the switching dynamics of the film.

The study of slope parameter is presented for elastic proton-proton and antiproton-proton scattering with taking into account the resent experimental data at high energies. The expanded logarithmic approximations allow the description of the experimental slopes in all available energy range reasonably. Accounting for the LHC results leads to the dramatic change of behavior of the quadratic in logarithm approximation at high energies and to the closer trends for all fitting functions under study in comparison with the analysis at collision energies up to the 200 GeV. The estimations of the asymptotic shrinkage parameter $\\alpha'_{\\cal{P}}$ are discussed. Predictions for diffraction slope parameter are obtained for some proton-proton and antiproton-proton facilities.

in making sense of and telling stories about the Energytown, and how do they relate to ‘international’ discourses on sustainability and climate change? Which semiotic modes are used, and how do these contribute to the media construction of the EF? And how are national and international coverage of the EF......-neutrality in 2015. The local media plays a crucial role in establishing and constructing the Energytown as a public issue. This paper investigates the local print media coverage of the Energytown and focuses on the ways in which citizen participation is represented and/or enabled. The methodological...... (re)recontextualised in the local media?...

This study probes into climate policy design at city level in China, with Hangzhou’s energy efficiency and renewable energy policies between 2005 and 2014 as a case. The study applies a political action arena approach to accentuate the importance of different normative preferences behind climate...... energy efficiency is a more mature and comprehensive political action arena than renewable energy. The study also finds that there has been a significant shift away from preferences towards command-and-control to more marketbased instruments, while cooperative governance instruments are still...

In the current state of cosmology, where cosmological parameters are being measured to percent accuracy, it is essential to understand all sources of error to high precision. In this paper we present the results of a study of the local variations in the Hubble constant measured at the distance scale of the Coma Cluster, and test the validity of correcting for the peculiar velocities predicted by gravitational instability theory. The study is based on N-body simulations, and includes models featuring a coupling between dark energy and dark matter, as well as two ΛCDM simulations with different values of σ8. It is found that the variance in the local flows is significantly larger in the coupled models, which increases the uncertainty in the local measurements of the Hubble constant in these scenarios. By comparing the results from the different simulations, it is found that most of the effect is caused by the higher value of σ8 in the coupled cosmologies, though this cannot account for all of the additional variance. Given the discrepancy between different estimates of the Hubble constant in the universe today, cosmological models causing a greater cosmic variance is something that we should be aware of.

In the current state of cosmology, where cosmological parameters are being measured to percent accuracy, it is essential to understand all sources of error to high precision. In this paper we present the results of a study of the local variations in the Hubble constant measured at the distance scale of the Coma Cluster, and test the validity of correcting for the peculiar velocities predicted by gravitational instability theory. The study is based on N-body simulations, and includes models featuring a coupling between dark energy and dark matter, as well as two $\\Lambda$CDM simulations with different values of $\\sigma_8$. It is found that the variance in the local flows is significantly larger in the coupled models, which increases the uncertainty in the local measurements of the Hubble constant in these scenarios. By comparing the results from the different simulations, it is found that most of the effect is caused by the higher value of $\\sigma_8$ in the coupled cosmologies, though this cannot account for a...

In this paper, we review the energy requirements to make materials on a global scale by focusing on the five construction materials that dominate energy used in material production: steel, cement, paper, plastics and aluminium. We then estimate the possibility of reducing absolute material production energy by half, while doubling production from the present to 2050. The goal therefore is a 75 per cent reduction in energy intensity. Four technology-based strategies are investigated, regardless of cost: (i) widespread application of best available technology (BAT), (ii) BAT to cutting-edge technologies, (iii) aggressive recycling and finally, and (iv) significant improvements in recycling technologies. Taken together, these aggressive strategies could produce impressive gains, of the order of a 50-56 per cent reduction in energy intensity, but this is still short of our goal of a 75 per cent reduction. Ultimately, we face fundamental thermodynamic as well as practical constraints on our ability to improve the energy intensity of material production. A strategy to reduce demand by providing material services with less material (called 'material efficiency') is outlined as an approach to solving this dilemma.

We have investigated the superconductor-insulator transition in molybdenum nitride films prepared by deposition onto MgO substrates. It is indicated that the T c depression from ≈ 6.6 \\text{K} for thick films with increase of the normal state sheet resistance R\\text{sq}\\text{N} was well explained by the Finkel’stein formula from the localization theory. Present analysis suggests that the superconducting-insulator transition occurs at a critical sheet resistance {{R}\\text{c}}≈ 2 \\text{k} Ω . It is found that the {{R}\\text{sq}}(T) above {{R}\\text{c}} shows different characteristics of {{R}\\text{sq}}(T)={{R}\\text{sq,0}}-A\\ln T and {{R}\\text{sq}}(T)\\propto \\exp ≤ft[{≤ft({{T}0}/T\\right)}1/2}\\right] in the regions {{R}\\text{c}}\\text{sq}\\text{N}{{R}\\text{Q}} , respectively, where {{R}\\text{sq,0}} is the classical residual resistance and A is a constant. The excess conductance {{σ\\prime}{}(T) due to thermal fluctuation has been analyzed by the sum of the Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson correction terms with use of the pair breaking parameter δ in the latter term. The sum agrees well with the data, although the experimental results of the R\\text{sq}\\text{N} dependence of δ , that is, δ \\propto {{≤ft(R\\text{sq}\\text{N}\\right)}≈ 1.7} shows the disagreement with a linear relation δ \\propto ≤ft(R\\text{sq}\\text{N}\\right) derived from the localization theory.

Emphasis is placed on the nature and magnitude of socio-economic impacts of fossil-fuel development. A model is described that identifies and estimates the magnitude of the economic impacts of anticipated energy resource development in site-specific areas and geographically contiguous areas of unspecified size. The modeling methodology was designed to assist industries and government agencies complying with recent federal and state legislation requiring subregional impact analyses for individual facilities. The model was designed in light of the requirements for accuracy, expandability, and exportability. The methodology forecasts absolute increments in local and regional growth on an annual or biennial basis and transforms these parameters into estimates of the affected area's ability to accommodate growth-induced demands, especially demands for public services. (HLW)

We perform an empirical consistency test of General Relativity/dark energy by disentangling expansion history and growth of structure constraints. We replace each late-universe parameter that describes the behavior of dark energy with two meta-parameters: one describing geometrical information in cosmological probes, and the other controlling the growth of structure. If the underlying model is correct, that is under the null hypothesis, the two meta-parameters coincide. We present a global analysis using state-of-the-art cosmological data sets which points in the direction that cosmic structures prefer a weaker growth than that inferred by background probes. This result could signify inconsistencies of the model, the necessity of extensions to it or the presence of systematic errors in the data. We examine all these possibilities. The fact that the result is mostly driven by a specific sub-set of galaxy clusters abundance data, points to the need of a better understanding of this probe

Full Text Available There has been a growing interest in discovering the human effects on the environment and energy consumption in recent decades. It is estimated that the share of energy consumed in transportation and housing systems are around 20 and 30 percent of total energy consumption respectively. Furthermore, the residential greenhouse emissions depend on urban form and structure. This paper explores the effects of urban features on residential energy consumption at neighborhood level using data collected through household questionnaire (n=140. Two residential districts in metropolitan Shiraz, south of Iran, were selected as case study areas. Different features of two areas were compared including building density, typology, housing location, parcel size, floor area and construction materials. Ordinary linear regression was used to discover the impact of explanatory variables on energy consumption. It was found that some physical variables such as parcel size, setback and number of floors played significant roles in explaining the variances exist in energy use level. The results can be used by governmental agencies to modify land use policies and subdivision rules in hope of saving energy and achieving a sustainable community.

Full Text Available Local and domestic fuel-energy recourses of theRepublicofBelarusin gross consumption of fuel-energy recourses has been ranked on the basis of the analysis of scientific literature, statistical information and also fundamental documentation in the sphere of energy policy and power saving. The paper proposes to give a special emphasis on usage of products after processing domestically manufactured fuel-energy recourses that have been obtained from local and imported raw-materials with the purpose to estimate a power security level of the Republic from a new point of view.

We study the properties of gravitational system in finite regions bounded by gravitational screens. We present the detail construction of the total energy of such regions and of the energy and momentum balance equations due to the flow of matter and gravitational radiation through the screen. We establish that the gravitational screen possesses analogs of surface tension, internal energy and viscous stress tensor, while the conservations are analogs of non-equilibrium balance equations for a viscous system. This gives a precise correspondence between gravity in finite regions and non-equilibrium thermodynamics.

We examine the quality of the local self-energy approximation, applied here to models of multiple quantum impurities coupled to an electronic bath. The local self-energy is obtained by solving a single-impurity Anderson model in an effective medium that is determined self-consistently, similar to

Full Text Available The social dimension of the transition to a low carbon economy is a key challenge to cities. The establishment of localenergy initiatives (LEIs has recently been attracting attention. It is of great importance to draw lessons from best practices when LEIs have been facilitated by local governments and made a substantial contribution to greening localenergy systems. The main research questions in this paper are: What lessons can be drawn from successful local low carbon energy transition cases, and which strategies proved successful to support LEIs? We have used analytical notions from the Strategic Niche Management (SNM and grassroots innovation literature to analyze two best-practice cases: Saerbeck (Germany and Lochem (The Netherlands. Data collection involved a set of fourteen in-depth interviews and secondary data. The results show that three key factors from SNM (building networks, managing expectations, and facilitation of learning are of great importance. However, to a great degree it is also strategic, community serving, responsive, reflexive leadership and proper process management by public officials that spurred success, which would not have been possible without close interaction and mutual trust between local government and representatives of the local communities.

We have recently shown that patterns with 30 nm line width and micrometer scale periodicity could be steadily fabricated by employing localized surface plasmons lithography based on a soft mold [Opt. Lett. 35, 13 (2009)]. In this paper, the dependence of the resolution (pattern periodicity), critical dimension, and electric field intensity on the geometrical parameters of the soft mold, such as ridge width, mold periodicity, ridge depth, and slope, have been systematically studied and analyzed. The relevant simulation results by finite-difference time-domain demonstrate that the critical dimension exhibits a perfect stabilization and the value of electric field intensity would be especially large, when the ridge depth is in the range from 100 to 270 nm and the slope angle is below 35°. Importantly, the optimal resolution and critical dimension can reach 100 and 17 nm, respectively, by reasonably designing the corresponding mold periodicity and ridge width, which indicates that the method is particularly suitable for obtaining patterns with high density and is extremely promising for bio-sensing and photonic crystals application.

Clustering is a fundamental and effective technique for utilizing sensor nodes' energy and extending the network lifetime for wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a novel clustering protocol, LECP-CP (localenergy consumption prediction-based clustering protocol), the core of which includes a novel cluster head election algorithm and an inter-cluster communication routing tree construction algorithm, both based on the predicted localenergy consumption ratio of nodes. We also provide a more accurate and realistic cluster radius to minimize the energy consumption of the entire network. The global energy consumption can be optimized by the optimization of the localenergy consumption, and the energy consumption among nodes can be balanced well. Simulation results validate our theoretical analysis and show that LECP-CP has high efficiency of energy utilization, good scalability and significant improvement in the network lifetime.

In this paper, we study a cosmological model in general relativity within the framework of spatially flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker space–time filled with ordinary matter (baryonic), radiation, dark matter and dark energy, where the latter two components are described by Chevallier–Polarski–Linder equation of state parameters. We utilize the observational data sets from SNLS3, BAO and Planck + WMAP9 + WiggleZ measurements of matter power spectrum to constrain the model parameters. We find th...

Full Text Available Objective: to reveal the patterns of hemostatic disorder development in the venous and arterial bed in relation to the type of energy deficiency. Subjects and methods. One hundred and ninety-nine patients who had undergone extensive abdominal surgeries (gastrectomy, pancreatoduodenectomies, hemicolectomies, hepatectomies, etc. were examined. Among the patients, there were 5 groups: a control group without energy deficiency and 4 groups of patients who were recorded to have one of the types of energy deficiency: substrate, hypermetabolic, hypoxic, and enzymatic. Results and discussion. The nature and degree of existing metabolic disturbances and changes in the arteriovenous difference in hemostasiological parameters have a statistically proven relationship (on the basis of ROC analysis. Substrate energy deficiency was characterized by the insignificant changes in the hemostatic system as a whole, which affect only its coagulation component; the arteriovenous difference in hemostasiological parameters was similar to that in the patients without energy deficiency. In hypermetabolic energy deficiency, the venous bed demonstrated the most pronounced hemostatic changes (hypercoagulation, suppressed fibrinolysis, and enhanced platelet aggregation. The hemostatic changes that were more significant than those in the above group were responsible for the formation of a significant arteriovenous difference in the hemostasiological parameters; however, the direction of this difference did not differ from that in the patients without energy deficiency. In hypoxic energy deficiency, hemostatic disorders were heterodirectional in the arterial and venous bed (these were most marked in the arterial bed — hypercoagulation, activated fibrinolysis, and enhanced platelet aggregation therefore there was a significant arteriovenous difference in the hemostasiological parameters, which was opposite as compared to that in the patients without energy deficiency. In

A number of useful photosynthetic parameters are commonly derived from saturation pulse-induced fluorescence analysis. We show, that qP, an estimate of the fraction of open centers, is based on a pure 'puddle' antenna model, where each Photosystem (PS) II center possesses its own independent antenna system. This parameter is incompatible with more realistic models of the photosynthetic unit, where reaction centers are connected by shared antenna, that is, the so-called 'lake' or 'connected units' models. We thus introduce a new parameter, qL, based on a Stern-Volmer approach using a lake model, which estimates the fraction of open PS II centers. We suggest that qL should be a useful parameter for terrestrial plants consistent with a high connectivity of PS II units, whereas some marine species with distinct antenna architecture, may require the use of more complex parameters based on intermediate models of the photosynthetic unit. Another useful parameter calculated from fluorescence analysis is ΦII, the yield of PS II. In contrast to qL, we show that the ΦII parameter can be derived from either a pure 'lake' or pure 'puddle' model, and is thus likely to be a robust parameter. The energy absorbed by PS II is divided between the fraction used in photochemistry, ΦII, and that lost non-photochemically. We introduce two additional parameters that can be used to estimate the flux of excitation energy into competing non-photochemical pathways, the yield induced by downregulatory processes, ΦNPQ, and the yield for other energy losses, ΦNO.

The discrepancy between the amplitudes of matter fluctuations inferred from Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) cluster number counts, the primary temperature, and the polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) measured by the Planck satellite can be reconciled if the local universe is embedded in an under-dense region as shown by Lee, 2014. Here using a simple void model assuming the open Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometry and a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique, we investigate how deep the local under-dense region needs to be to resolve this discrepancy. Such local void, if exists, predicts the local Hubble parameter value that is different from the global Hubble constant. We derive the posterior distribution of the local Hubble parameter from a joint fitting of the Planck CMB data and SZ cluster number counts assuming the simple void model. We show that the predicted local Hubble parameter value of $H_{\\rm loc}=70.1\\pm0.34~{\\rm km\\,s^{-1}Mpc^{-1}}$ is in better agreement with direct local Hub...

This report sums up the conference ''Energy use and sustainable development in the 21st century - Local action and national strategies'' that was held in Oslo in 1999. The purpose of the conference was to stimulate the development of climate- and energy strategies and actions that support a sustainable use of energylocally and regionally. The report discusses important points from the various contributions and from the workshops of the conference.

A growing number of regional and local communities in Europe aim towards “energy autonomy”. These communities try to cover their energy demand for electricity, heating and cooling to 100 % by renewable energies from local and regional sources. Is this approach also useful and viable for transport? Should the European institutions support such strategies? In this paper we will present and discuss modelling results for Liechtenstein as well as provide an overview of ongoing research project foc...

The Hubble Space Telescope observations of the nearby galaxy group M 81/M 82 and its vicinity indicate that the expansion outflow around the group is dominated by the antigravity of the dark energy background. The local density of dark energy in the area is estimated to be near the global dark energy density or perhaps exactly equal to it. This conclusion agrees with our previous results for the Local group vicinity and the vicinity of the Cen A/M 83 group.

to suck the human bio-effluents at the area of the body where they are generated before they spread in the room. The air polluted with released bio-effluents is exhausted into the mattress near the body and is either cleaned and released back in the room or is removed from the room by connecting......-bed hospital patient room (1.3 air changes per hour (ACH)) and double-bed patient room (1.6 ACH) was assessed by means of dynamic computer simulations. The estimated annual energy consumption for the rooms using the VM combined with CAV was compared to the annual energy consumption when the CAV ventilation...... the mattress to the exhaust of the room background ventilation system. Comprehensive research reveals that the method is highly efficient for removal of bio-effluents. The energy saving potential of the VM combined with constant air volume (CAV) ventilation operating at reduced ventilation rate in a single...

This report is one of a continuing series developed by ORNL with financial support from the Economic Development Administration to present the supply, demand, and net imports of seven fuel types for four final consuming sectors of BEAs, states, census regions, and the nation in 1974. The data are formatted to present regional energy availability from primary extraction as well as from regional transformation processes. As constructed, the tables depict energy balances between availability and use for each of the specific fuels. The long-term objective of the program is to pinpoint those regions where economic development potentials will most likely be affected by the availability of energy. This information coupled with specific knowledge of projected economic growth and employment distribution patterns can assist EDA in developing its grant-in-aid investment strategy.

The energy-independent touching spheres schemes commonly used for the determination of the safe minimum value of the impact parameter for Coulomb excitation experiments are modified through the inclusion of an energy-dependent term. The touching spheres+3fm scheme after modification emerges out to be the best one while touching spheres+4fm scheme is found to be better in its unmodified form. (orig.)

Full Text Available Abstract: A theory for the calculation of self-energy corrections to the nuclear magnetic parameters is given in this paper. It is based on the S-matrix formulation of bound-state quantum electrodynamics (QED. Explicit expressions for the various terms of the S-matrix are given. The interpretation of the self-energy, one- and two-vertex terms and some perspective for possible future developments are discussed.

Despite extensive effort during the past few decades, a comprehensive understanding of the key variables governing the electrochemical properties of cathode materials in Li-ion batteries is still far from complete. To elucidate the critical parameters affecting energy density (ED) and capacity (Q) retention in layer and spinel cathodes, we data-mine the existing experimental data via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on a structural equation model (SEM), which is a proven, versatile tool in understanding complex problems in the social science. The data sets are composed of 18 and 15 parameters extracted from 38 layer and 33 spinel compounds, respectively. CFA reveals the irrelevance of Q retention to all the parameters we adopt, but it also reveals the sensitive variations of ED with specific parameters. We validate the usefulness of CFA in material science and pinpointed critical parameters for high-ED cathodes, hoping to suggest a new insight in materials design.

Single energetic ion hit technique has been developed as an application of ion microbeam technique, in order to study the effect of local damage or injury to materials and living organisms. The overall performance is basically defined by those of separate techniques: microbeam formation, microbeam positioning, single ion detection, detection signal processing, hit timing control, and hit verification. Recent progress on the developments of these techniques at JAERI-TIARA facility are reviewed. (author)

We have investigated earthquake source parameters and seismic moment-magnitude relations from 103 regional and local earthquakes with moment magnitude 2.6 to 7.2, which occurred in a distance range from 4.5 to 550 km during 1995-2012 by applying Brune's seismic source model (J Geophys Res 75:4997-5009, 1970, J Geophys Res 76:5002, 1971) for P- and S/Lg-wave displacement spectra. Considering P- and S-wave data separately, we first studied the empirical dependence of the Fourier spectral amplitudes Ω due to the geometrical spreading and the inelastic attenuation and of the corner frequency, f 0, with the epicentral distances, R. We found the distance correction parameters, Re 0.0042 R and R 0.8333 e 0.00365 R for the low-frequency spectral amplitudes and f 0 = f {0/'} e 0.00043 R and f 0 = f {0/'} e 0.00044 R for the corner frequency at the source, f 0, and observed at the station, f {0/'}, from P-wave and S-wave spectra, respectively. Applying the distance correction procedure, we determined the source displacement spectrum of P and S waves for each earthquake to estimate the seismic moment, M 0; the moment magnitude, M W; the source radius, r; and the stress drop, Δσ. The seismic moments range from 1.06 × 1013 to 7.67 × 1019 N m, and their corresponding moment magnitudes are in the range of 2.6-7.2. Values of stress drop Δσ vary from 0.1 to 44 MPa. It was found that the stress drop increases with the increasing seismic moment in the range of 1013-1016 N m and possibly becomes constant at higher magnitudes, reaching a maximum value of about 40-45 MPa. We demonstrate that the values of the M 0 and M W estimated from P-wave and S-wave analysis are consistent and confirmed by the results of waveform inversions, i.e., centroid moment tensor (CMT) solution.

The ladder of influence by Arnstein (1969) shows steps from manipulation to citizen control. The level of interaction between citizens, authorities and institutions can be placed on this ladder. In the Netherlands new strategies for empowerment in the field of energy performance are emerging, for

Background An important avenue toward a proper ‘energy transition’ through regional and local projects is for government to collaborate with private sector organizations. In the energy sector, these latter organizations are often already involved in private-private partnerships for collaboration tow

Outlined in this brochure are steps that local governments, or communities at large, can follow to devise an energy efficiency program. In general, an energy efficiency policy is first legislated by the local governing body. Then, an energy program is created to support the policy by developing and executing an action plan. The steps are: Determine how much you spend on energy; Designate or create a lead office; Link energy programs with community goals; Build grassroots community support; Don`t reinvent the wheel; Prioritize actions and develop a draft plan; Implement the plan; Evaluate success and update the plan; and, Publicize the benefits.

Efficiency in drilling is measured by Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE). MSE is the measure of the amount of energy input required to remove a unit volume of rock, expressed in units of energy input divided by volume removed. It can be expressed mathematically in terms of controllable parameters; Weight on Bit, Torque, Rate of Penetration, and RPM. It is well documented that minimizing MSE by optimizing controllable factors results in maximum Rate of Penetration. Current methods for computing MSE make it possible to minimize MSE in the field only through a trial-and-error process. This work makes it possible to compute the optimum drilling parameters that result in minimum MSE. The parameters that have been traditionally used to compute MSE are interdependent. Mathematical relationships between the parameters were established, and the conventional MSE equation was rewritten in terms of a single parameter, Weight on Bit, establishing a form that can be minimized mathematically. Once the optimum Weight on Bit was determined, the interdependent relationship that Weight on Bit has with Torque and Penetration per Revolution was used to determine optimum values for those parameters for a given drilling situation. The improved method was validated through laboratory experimentation and analysis of published data. Two rock types were subjected to four treatments each, and drilled in a controlled laboratory environment. The method was applied in each case, and the optimum parameters for minimum MSE were computed. The method demonstrated an accurate means to determine optimum drilling parameters of Weight on Bit, Torque, and Penetration per Revolution. A unique application of micro-cracking is also presented, which demonstrates that rock failure ahead of the bit is related to axial force more than to rotation speed.

The flow of the quenched energy in imbalanced dijet events has been previously studied by transverse vector sum of charged particles with the CMS detector, namely the missing pT measurement. The results have led to new theoretical insights to order to explain the wide angle radiation. The missing pT technique has been improved so that it allows the study of angular distribution of the energy flow with respect to the dijet axis. The measurements are performed using different distance parameters R with the anti-kT clustering algorithm, which provide information about how the angular distribution of the quenched energy depends on the jet width.

In the framework of the solvable model of cosmology constructed in the Earth-related coordinate system, we derive the modified Hubble law. This law carries the slowly time-varying Hubble parameter. The modified Hubble law eliminates the need for dark energy.

Full Text Available In this paper, we study the specific energy of titanium dioxide nanoparticles synthesis in a spark discharge in the air by varying the parameters of a discharge circuit. The dependence shows a maximum at a capacitor voltage of about 2 kV and a monotonic decrease with increasing voltage.

The order parameter profile between coexisting confined and plasma regions at the quantum chromodynamic (QCD) phase transition is constructed. The dimensionless combination of the surface energy (Sigma) and the correlation length (Zeta) is estimated to be Sigma Zeta 3 approximately equals 0.8.

In the framework of the solvable model of cosmology constructed in the Earth-related coordinate system, we derive the modified Hubble law. This law carries the slowly time-varying Hubble parameter. The modified Hubble law eliminates the need for dark energy.

We propose the Same Number Of Optimized Parameters (SNOOP) scheme as an alternative to the counterpoise method for treating basis set superposition errors in calculations of intermolecular interaction energies. The key point of the SNOOP scheme is to enforce that the number of optimized wave...

Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models serve as a powerful tool for describing the flow of energy through organisms from assimilation of food to utilization for maintenance, growth and reproduction. The DEB theory has been successfully applied to several bivalve species to compare bioenergetic and physiological strategies for the utilization of energy. In particular, mussels within the Mytilus edulis complex (M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis, and M. trossulus) have been the focus of many studies due to their economic and ecological importance, and their worldwide distribution. However, DEB parameter values have never been estimated for Mytilus californianus, a species that is an ecological dominant on rocky intertidal shores on the west coast of North America and which likely varies considerably from mussels in the M. edulis complex in its physiology. We estimated a set of DEB parameters for M. californianus using the covariation method estimation procedure and compared these to parameter values from other bivalve species. Model parameters were used to compare sensitivity to environmental variability among species, as a first examination of how strategies for physiologically contending with environmental change by M. californianus may differ from those of other bivalves. Results suggest that based on the parameter set obtained, M. californianus has favorable energetic strategies enabling it to contend with a range of environmental conditions. For instance, the allocation fraction of reserve to soma (κ) is among the highest of any bivalves, which is consistent with the observation that this species can survive over a wide range of environmental conditions, including prolonged periods of starvation.

Increasing wind power shares enhances the need to integrate wind power into the energy system and to improve its economy. In this study we propose two ways of achieving this end. One is to increase the value of wind power by integrating the heat and power markets, and thus ensures that wind power...... the acceptance rate of onshore wind. The economy of wind power is thus improved by both increasing its value and reducing its costs....

Mean values of energetic parameters are used in ecosystem studies because only crude estimates are possible when dealing with a large scope. However, when the focus is at the population level, finer resolution is possible and thus potential ontogenetic differences should be examined. Analysis of energetic parameters of a population of terrestrial salamander, Plethodon cinereus, was undertaken in order to determine ontogenetic differences.Digestive efficiency does not differ significantly between age classes, nor is it correlated with energy intake. Adult males and non-gravid females have virtually identical mean efficiencies. Thus it is probably meaningful to calculate energy flow through the population using a mean digestive efficiency value. Percent water content decreases significantly with increasing age whereas percent ash content increases significantly. Thus when estimating energy tied up in standing crop, correction must be applied for ontogenetic differences in water and ash content. Once these corrections have been made, the AFDW-specific energy content is not significantly different between age groups (with the exception of gravid females which is higher). Salamanders accumulate energy in their tissues with increasing age, although immatures are not significantly different from non-gravid adults. Since gravid females have significantly more joules/mg wet weight than other groups, separate energy density values must be calculated for these individuals if a meaningful standing crop energy estimate is to be obtained from wet weight biomass.

We discuss the determination of the strong coupling α_{MS[over ¯]}(m_{Z}) or, equivalently, the QCD Λ parameter. Its determination requires the use of perturbation theory in α_{s}(μ) in some scheme s and at some energy scale μ. The higher the scale μ, the more accurate perturbation theory becomes, owing to asymptotic freedom. As one step in our computation of the Λ parameter in three-flavor QCD, we perform lattice computations in a scheme that allows us to nonperturbatively reach very high energies, corresponding to α_{s}=0.1 and below. We find that (continuum) perturbation theory is very accurate there, yielding a 3% error in the Λ parameter, while data around α_{s}≈0.2 are clearly insufficient to quote such a precision. It is important to realize that these findings are expected to be generic, as our scheme has advantageous properties regarding the applicability of perturbation theory.

Full Text Available It is demonstrated that entropy and its density play a significant role in solving the problem of the vacuum energy density (cosmological constant of the Universe and hence the dark energy problem. Taking this in mind, two most popular models for dark energy—Holographic Dark Energy Model and Agegraphic Dark Energy Model—are analysed. It is shown that the fundamental quantities in the first of these models may be expressed in terms of a new small dimensionless parameter that is naturally occurring in High Energy Gravitational Thermodynamics and Gravitational Holography (UV-limit. On this basis, the possibility of a new approach to the problem of Quantum Gravity is discussed. Besides, the results obtained on the uncertainty relation of the pair “cosmological constant–volume of space-time”, where the cosmological constant is a dynamic quantity, are reconsidered and generalized up to the Generalized Uncertainty Relation.

The relative brightnesses of standard candles have long been known to be potentially powerful probes of distance. The distance modulus, the difference between observed and absolute magnitudes, has been associated with the values of the cosmological parameters: Hubble's constant H_0, the mass density Omega_M and the cosmological constant Omega_Lambda. In the literature the relationship between these parameters and the distance modulus is calculated for an energy magnitude system; the Johnson-Cousins magnitude system used in observations is in fact a photon-counting system. In this paper, we present the relation between observed and absolute photon magnitudes in terms of the familiar energy distance modulus and derive the correct form of the K-correction. The differences between energy and photon systems are small relative to the measurement errors of contemporary high-redshift supernova searches. The distinction must be made, however, for precision cosmological measurements such as those planned for Type Ia su...

A Energy drinks have become a popular beverage worldwide. The global market for energy drink has gained momentum in the past decade, and demand is increasing every year. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of commercial energy drinks available in the local stores in Saudi Arabia. Total bacterial count, coliform, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus were included in this analysis. Out of a total of 20 tested energy drinks, micro...

The German experience in wind power development was discussed in this presentation, with particular reference to 17 years of experience acquired by the German company Ingenieurburo Henning Holst. The company has constructed 30 wind power projects in Germany ranging in size from 1 to 57 MW. Half of the projects are community owned. The services provided by Henning Holst include calculations of emissions from turbines; land lease concepts; assistance with contractual agreements; tenders and site supervision; feasibility studies; and commissioning, operation and administration. The early installations required high wind speeds and wind energy development was only possible in a few locations. With improved technology, many other sites with lower wind speeds are now profitable. In 1991, the provincial target for Schleswig Holstein was 1,200 MW by 2010. Today, there are 2,400 MW in the province, and 1,500 MW are waiting to be installed. This paper provided a brief outline of Germany's renewable energy policy and the importance of grid access and appropriate pricing. 25 figs.

Energy, water, and food systems are closely interlinked in the Energy-Water-Food Nexus. Water is of paramount importance for the energy sector. Fossil fuels require water for extraction, trans-port and processing. Thermal power plants require water for cooling, whether they use nuclear, fossil......-users. The waste water is often returned to the environment after energy requiring waste water management....

Full Text Available The focus of the paper was on discussing the challenges and possibilities of promoting and utilising various renewable energy sources at the regional level. National obligations and the rising prices of fossil fuels have put pressure on energy producers and end users to start utilising renewable energy sources. South-East Finland has one of Europe’s highest forest industry concentrations, and renewable energy sources such as wood fuels are utilised widely. The study utilises earlier regional studies and statistics as well as new results from this study. These results are combined into regional potentials which are presented by regional energy balance. The analyses provide important background information for decision making. The various regions of Finland have different operational environments and local participants need motivation and activation regarding these local possibilities.

Full Text Available We have investigated the relative importance of the energy dependence of diffuseness parameter and barrier position in the description of the fusion excitation function data of some heavy ion systems in near barrier energy region. The effects of the energy dependent diffuseness parameter are found to be much more prominent in comparison to those of barrier position.

Full Text Available Abstract Background A detailed understanding of an RNA's correct secondary and tertiary structure is crucial to understanding its function and mechanism in the cell. Free energy minimization with energyparameters based on the nearest-neighbor model and comparative analysis are the primary methods for predicting an RNA's secondary structure from its sequence. Version 3.1 of Mfold has been available since 1999. This version contains an expanded sequence dependence of energyparameters and the ability to incorporate coaxial stacking into free energy calculations. We test Mfold 3.1 by performing the largest and most phylogenetically diverse comparison of rRNA and tRNA structures predicted by comparative analysis and Mfold, and we use the results of our tests on 16S and 23S rRNA sequences to assess the improvement between Mfold 2.3 and Mfold 3.1. Results The average prediction accuracy for a 16S or 23S rRNA sequence with Mfold 3.1 is 41%, while the prediction accuracies for the majority of 16S and 23S rRNA structures tested are between 20% and 60%, with some having less than 20% prediction accuracy. The average prediction accuracy was 71% for 5S rRNA and 69% for tRNA. The majority of the 5S rRNA and tRNA sequences have prediction accuracies greater than 60%. The prediction accuracy of 16S rRNA base-pairs decreases exponentially as the number of nucleotides intervening between the 5' and 3' halves of the base-pair increases. Conclusion Our analysis indicates that the current set of nearest-neighbor energyparameters in conjunction with the Mfold folding algorithm are unable to consistently and reliably predict an RNA's correct secondary structure. For 16S or 23S rRNA structure prediction, Mfold 3.1 offers little improvement over Mfold 2.3. However, the nearest-neighbor energyparameters do work well for shorter RNA sequences such as tRNA or 5S rRNA, or for larger rRNAs when the contact distance between the base-pairs is less than 100 nucleotides.

The purpose of this study is to generally inform the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Energy Codes Program of the local, effective energy code adoption rate for a sample set of 21 states, some which have adopted statewide codes and some that have not. Information related to the residential energy code adoption process and status at the local jurisdiction was examined for each of the states. Energy code status information was gathered for approximately 2,800 jurisdictions, which effectively covered approximately 80 percent of the new residential building construction in the 21 states included in the study.

We report the detection of dark energy near the Milky Way made with precision observations of the local Hubble flow of expansion. We estimate the local density of dark energy and find that it is near, if not exactly equal to, the global dark energy density. The result is independent of, compatible with, and complementary to the horizon-scale observations in which dark energy was first discovered. Together with the cosmological concordance data, our result forms direct observational evidence for the Einstein antigravity as a universal phenomenon -- in the same sense as the Newtonian universal gravity.

We present and test a new approximation for the exchange-correlation (xc) energy of Kohn-Sham density functional theory. It combines exact exchange with a compatible non-local correlation functional. The functional is by construction free of one-electron self-interaction, respects constraints derived from uniform coordinate scaling, and has the correct asymptotic behavior of the xc energy density. It contains one parameter that is not determined ab initio. We investigate whether it is possible to construct a functional that yields accurate binding energies and affords other advantages, specifically Kohn-Sham eigenvalues that reliably reflect ionization potentials. Tests for a set of atoms and small molecules show that within our local-hybrid form accurate binding energies can be achieved by proper optimization of the free parameter in our functional, along with an improvement in dissociation energy curves and in Kohn-Sham eigenvalues. However, the correspondence of the latter to experimental ionization potent...

The local electric field enhancement at different points of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell is investigated using quasi-static theory. Because of the symmetric and anti-symmetric coupling between surface plasmon of inner silver core and outer silver shell, the local electric field spectrum of silver-dielectric-silver has two distinct peaks at resonance wavelengths. The silver core size and middle dielectric thickness affect the local electric field enhancement at different points of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell. Increasing the silver core radius always leads to blue shift of shorter resonance wavelength and red shift of longer resonance wavelength. We observed two distinct local electric field peaks, which are corresponded to the symmetric and anti-symmetric coupling between inner and outer surface plasmons. In a system with thick silver shell, local electric field enhancement is greater than a system with thin silver shell. However, the local electric field variations as a function of silver core radius in both systems are different at different points of nanoshell. The effects of the dielectric thickness variations on local electric field are different from those from silver core size variations. As the dielectric thickness is about 3 nm, the highest local electric field enhancement occurs at the surface of the inner silver core, where the symmetric and anti-symmetric modes are mixed together.

The evaluation of the neutron cross sections of the three stable isotopes of silicon in the energy range thermal to 20 MeV was performed by Hetrick et al. for ENDF/B-VI (Evaluated Nuclear Data File). Resonance parameters were obtained in the energy range thermal to 1500 keV from a SAMMY analysis of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory experimental neutron transmission data. A new measurement of the capture cross section of natural silicon in the energy range 1 to 700 keV has recently been performed at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator. Results of this measurement were used in a SAMMY reevaluation of the resonance parameters, allowing determination of the capture width of a large number of resonances. The experimental data base is described; properties of the resonance parameters are given. For the first time the direct neutron capture component has been taken into account from the calculation by Rauscher et al. in the energy range from thermal to 1 MeV. Results of benchmark calculations are also given. The new evaluation is available in the ENDF/B-VI format.

A comprehensive description of the accomplishments of the DOE grant titled, ''Local Measurement of Fuel Energy Deposition and Heat Transfer Environment During Fuel Lifetime using Controlled Calorimetry''.

Full text: We study the cosmological constraints expected for the upcoming project Dark Energy Survey (DES) with the full functional form of the 2-point angular correlation function. The angular correlation function model applied in this work includes the effects of linear redshift-space distortion, photometric redshift errors (assumed to be Gaussian) and non-linearities prevenient from gravitational infall. The Fisher information matrix is constructed with the full covariance matrix, which takes the correlation between nearby redshift shells in a proper manner. The survey was sliced into 20 redshift shells in the range 0:4 {<=} z {<=} 1:40 with a variable angular scale in order to search only the scale around the signal from the baryon acoustic oscillation, therefore well within the validity of the non-linear model employed. We found that under those assumptions and with a flat {Lambda}CDM WMAP7 fiducial model, the DES will be able to constrain the dark energy equation of state parameter w with a precision of {approx} 20% and the cold dark matter with {approx} 11% when marginalizing over the other 25 parameters (bias is treated as a free parameter for each shell). When applying WMAP7 priors on {Omega}{sub baryon}, {Omega} c{sub dm}, n{sub s}, and HST priors on the Hubble parameter, w is constrained with {approx} 9% precision. This shows that the full shape of the angular correlation function with DES data will be a powerful probe to constrain cosmological parameters. (author)

Full Text Available The Weibull probability density function (PDF has mostly been used to fit wind speed distributions for wind energy applications. The goodness of fit of the results depends on the estimation method that was used and the wind type of the analyzed area. In this paper, a study on a particular area (Galicia was performed to test the performance of several fitting methods. The goodness of fit was evaluated by well-known indicators that use the wind speed or the available wind power density. However, energy production must be a critical parameter in wind energy applications. Hence, a fitting method that accounts for the power density distribution is proposed. To highlight the usefulness of this method, indicators that use energy production values are also presented.

of results from experimental tests with six hollow section steel cantilevers containing a fatigue crack introduced from a narrow laser cut slot. The modal parameters have been identified for different size and location of a crack. The modal parameters have been estimated by mean of frequency domain and time...

The dynamics of energy transfer is discussed for a model system in which two ligands are separated by a heavy atom. Numerical and analytical results are given for the case that each ligand is a CC. In the quasiperiodic regime, the dynamics are interpreted using perturbation theory. Local group modes involved in an intramolecular energylocalization which can occur in this regime are identified. An approximate separation of the primarily ligand–ligand motions from the primarily ligand–metal–li...

In this paper, an oscillating dark energy model is presented in an isotropic but inhomogeneous plane symmetric space-time by considering a time periodic varying deceleration parameter. We find three different types of new solutions which describe different scenarios of oscillating universe. The first two solutions show an oscillating universe with singularities. For the third one, the universe is singularity-free during the whole evolution. Moreover, the Hubble parameter oscillates and keeps positive which explores an interesting possibility to unify the early inflation and late time acceleration of the universe.

Full Text Available Energy saving and greenhouse gas (GHG emission reduction policies at local level need to be investigated and new tools for climate change mitigation are necessary seeking to achieve GHG emission targets in Lithuania. Most Lithuanian municipalities have signed Covenant of Mayors and have prepared localenergy action plans. However, all these plans include just energy saving measures on supply side and renovation of buildings. Nevertheless, the significant energy savings and GHG emission reductions can be achieved through behavioural changes. The aim of the paper is to apply community based social marketing approach in assessment of achievable energy saving and GHG emission reduction targets set by localenergy action plans. The paper presents the results of case study implemented in Kaunas region municipality. The case study was conducted by creating focus groups and applying two scenarios: baseline or doing nothing and climate change mitigation scenario including intervention measures. The results of case study revealed that the total energy consumption reduction target set in Sustainable energy development strategy of Kaunas region county - 11% - can be achieved by combining results of energy consumption reduction in both focus groups. The survey conducted after study finalization revealed that respondents were provided with a lot of additional knowledge during the study and achieved real money savings. The major barriers of energy savings in households are related with the lack of information on energy savings and GHG emission reduction.

Some european towns developed a specific energy and environmental policy, function of many factors. Policies are implemented to favorite the energy consumption and the pollutant emission control. The actions of local collectivities in the domain have been analyzed following three axis: the measure of the energy performance of local collectivities, the territorial energy management tools, the energy integration in sectoral policies. This report takes stock on the first axis analysis. (A.L.B.)

In this paper we analytically compute the strength of nonlinear interactions in a triad, and the energy exchanges between wave-number shells in incompressible fluid turbulence. The computation has been done using first-order perturbative field theory. In three dimensions, magnitude of triad interactions is large for nonlocal triads, and small for local triads. However, the shell-to-shell energy transfer rate is found to be local and forward. This result is due to the fact that the nonlocal triads occupy much less Fourier space volume than the local ones. The analytical results on three-dimensional shell-to-shell energy transfer match with their numerical counterparts. In two-dimensional turbulence, the energy transfer rates to the nearby shells are forward, but to the distant shells are backward; the cumulative effect is an inverse cascade of energy.

As demonstrated by the Australian Wave Energy Atlas (AWavEA), the southern and western margins of the country possess considerable wave energy resources. The Australia Government has made notable investments in pre-commercial wave energy developments in these areas, however little is known about how this technology may impact local wave climate and subsequently affect neighbouring coastal environments, e.g. altering sediment transport, causing shoreline erosion or accretion. In this study, a network of in-situ wave measurement devices have been deployed surrounding the 3 wave energy converters of the Carnegie Wave Energy Limited's Perth Wave Energy Project. This data is being used to develop, calibrate and validate numerical simulations of the project site. Early stage results will be presented and potential simulation strategies for scaling-up the findings to larger arrays of wave energy converters will be discussed. The intended project outcomes are to establish zones of impact defined in terms of changes in local wave energy spectra and to initiate best practice guidelines for the establishment of wave energy conversion sites.

We perform an empirical consistency test of General Relativity/dark energy by disentangling expansion history and growth of structure constraints. We replace each late-universe parameter that describes the behavior of dark energy with two meta-parameters: one describing geometrical information in cosmological probes, and the other controlling the growth of structure. If the underlying model (a standard wCDM cosmology with General Relativity) is correct, that is under the null hypothesis, the two meta-parameters coincide. If they do not, it could indicate a failure of the model or systematics in the data. We present a global analysis using state-of-the-art cosmological data sets which points in the direction that cosmic structures prefer a weaker growth than that inferred by background probes. This result could signify inconsistencies of the model, the necessity of extensions to it or the presence of systematic errors in the data. We examine all these possibilities. The fact that the result is mostly driven by...

By using the widely used JOHNSON-COOK model and the gradient-dependent plasticity to consider microstmctural effect beyond the occurrence of shear strain localization, the distributions of local plastic shear strain and deformation in adiabatic shear band(ASB) were analyzed. The peak local plastic shear strain is proportional to the average plastic shear strain, while it is inversely proportional to the critical plastic shear strain corresponding to the peak flow shear stress. The relative plastic shear deformation between the top and base of ASB depends on the thickness of ASB and the average plastic shear strain. A parametric study was carried out to study the influence of constitutive parameters on shear strain localization. Higher values of static shear strength and work to heat conversion factor lead to lower critical plastic shear strain so that the shear localization is more apparent at the same average plastic shear strain. Higher values of strain-hardening exponent, strain rate sensitive coefficient, melting point,thermal capacity and mass density result in higher critical plastic shear strain, leading to less apparent shear localization at the same average plastic shear strain. The strain rate sensitive coefficient has a minor influence on the critical plastic shear strain, the distributions of local plastic shear strain and deformation in ASB. The effect of strain-hardening modulus on the critical plastic shear strain is not monotonous. When the maximum critical plastic shear strain is reached, the least apparent shear localization occurs.

A novel diffraction technique for local, three dimensional strain scanning within bulk materials is presented. The technique utilizes high energy, micro-focussed synchrotron radiation which can penetrate several millimeters into typical metals. The spatial resolution can be as narrow as 1 mum....... Case studies demonstrate that steep macrostrain gradients can be resolved. Techniques for the local measurement of macro- and microstrains are discussed....

Effective field theory (EFT) is the unique, model independent and systematic low-energy version of QCD for processes involving momenta below the pion mass. A low-energy photonuclear observable in three-body systems, photon polarization parameter at thermal neutron energies is calculated by using pionless EFT up to next-to-next to leading order (NLO2). In order to make a comparative study of this model, we compared our results for photon polarization parameter with the realistic Argonne v18 two-nucleon and Urbana IX or Tucson-Melbourne three-nucleon interactions. Three-body currents give small but significant contributions to some of the observables in the neutron-deuteron radiative capture cross section at thermal neutron energies. In this formalism the three-nucleon forces are needed up to NLO2 for cut-off independent results. Our result converges order by order in low energy expansion and also cut-off independent at this order.

Effective Field Theory(EFT) is, the unique, model independent and systematic low-energy version of QCD for processes involving momenta below the pion mass. A low-energy photo-nuclear observable in three-body systems, photon polarization parameter at thermal neutron energies is calculated by using pionless EFT up to next-to-next to leading order(N$^2$LO). In order to make a comparative study of this model, we compared our results for photon polarization parameter with the realistic Argonne $v_{18}$ two-nucleon and Urbana IX or Tucson-Melbourne three-nucleon interactions. Three-body currents give small but significant contributions to some of the observables in the neutron-deuteron radiative capture cross section at thermal neutron energies. In this formalism the three-nucleon forces are needed up to N$^2$LO for cut-off independent results. Our result converges order by order in low energy expansion and also cut-off independent at this order.

We propose a modified Bethe formula for low-energy electron stopping power without fitting parameters for a wide range of elements and compounds. This formula maintains the generality of the Bethe formula and gives reasonable agreement in comparing the predicted stopping powers for 15 elements and 6 compounds with the experimental data and those calculated within dielectric theory including the exchange effect. Use of the stopping power obtained from this formula for hydrogen silsesquioxane in Monte Carlo simulation gives the energy deposition distribution in consistent with the experimental data.

Semiempirical quantum chemical method AM1 was employed to calculate the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels (EHOMO) for various types of antioxidants. It was verified that the correlation between logarithm of free radical scavenging rate constants (lgks) and EHOMO substantially arises from the correlation between EHOMO and O-H bond dissociation energies (BDE) of antioxidants. Furthermore, EHOMO were poorly correlated with the logarithm of relative free radical scavenging rate constants (lgk3/k1) for various types of antioxidants that possess complex structures (r = 0.5602). So in a broad sense, EHOMO was not an appropriate parameter to characterize the free radical scavenging activity of antioxidants.

Full Text Available An improved lumped parameter model (ILPM is proposed which predicts the output characteristics of a piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (PVEH. A correction factor is derived for improving the precisions of lumped parameter models for transverse vibration, by considering the dynamic mode shape and the strain distribution of the PVEH. For a tip mass, variations of the correction factor with PVEH length are presented with curve fitting from numerical solutions. The improved governing motion equations and exact analytical solution of the PVEH excited by persistent base motions are developed. Steady-state electrical and mechanical response expressions are derived for arbitrary frequency excitations. Effects of the structural parameters on the electromechanical outputs of the PVEH and important characteristics of the PVEH, such as short-circuit and open-circuit behaviors, are analyzed numerically in detail. Accuracy of the output performances of the ILPM is identified from the available lumped parameter models and the coupled distributed parameter model. Good agreement is found between the analytical results of the ILPM and the coupled distributed parameter model. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the ILPM as a simple and effective means for enhancing the predictions of the PVEH.

Low-lying energy spectra of some odd-A isotopes of Lu and Ta are predicted using the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction as the effective residual interaction together with the usual spin-orbit and extrapolation terms in the Hamiltonian. It is suggested that the Coriolis antipairing force might generate the correct doublet structure of the 1/2/sup +/ bands, especially in highly deformed regions. It is shown that the pseudo-SU(3) model satisfies the general requirement that it is capable of describing the spectral behaviour of different nuclei with only minor variations in the strength parameters. Correlations between the band excitation energies and the strength parameters are also given in a first approximation. The ratios of interband M1 transition probabilities are also presented.

The Disk Loaded Waveguide (DLW) is the mostly used high frequency structure for acceleration of lightweight particles - electrons in the high energy range. In some physical experiments acceleration of more heavy particles - muons to medium energies is required. DLW parameters are considered for particle velocity 0.04 < \\beta < 1 both for the fundamental and the nearest backward spatial harmonics. Physical and technical restrictions for DLW application in the low \\beta range and lower frequency (the L-band range) are analyzed. Basing on particularities of acceleration with Traveling Wave (TW), deep optimization of DLW cells dimensions, the choice of optimal operating phase advance for each DLW section and combination of forward and backward TW modes, it is possible to create simple, cost effective acceleration system for acceleration in the velocity range 0.2 < \\beta < 1 intermediate particles, in some parameters overcoming accelerating system with RF cavities in Standing Wave (SW) mode. Design cri...

Full Text Available Anodized TiO2 nanotubes have received much attention for their use in solar energy applications including water oxidation cells and hybrid solar cells [dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs and bulk heterojuntion solar cells (BHJs]. High surface area allows for increased dye-adsorption and photon absorption. Titania nanotubes grown by anodization of titanium in fluoride-containing electrolytes are aligned perpendicular to the substrate surface, reducing the electron diffusion path to the external circuit in solar cells. The nanotube morphology can be optimized for the various applications by adjusting the anodization parameters but the optimum crystallinity of the nanotube arrays remains to be realized. In addition to morphology and crystallinity, the method of device fabrication significantly affects photon and electron dynamics and its energy conversion efficiency. This paper provides the state-of-the-art knowledge to achieve experimental tailoring of morphological parameters including nanotube diameter, length, wall thickness, array surface smoothness, and annealing of nanotube arrays.

Implications of increasing total cross sections and diffractive structures at CERN-ISR on the inelastic differential cross section in impact parameter space are discussed. It is a Gaussian plus a small 'edge' correction and its increase through the ISR energies is peripheral as compared to the overall region of inelastic collisions, while inside this region it remains relatively constant and below the unitarity bound. (25 refs).

The goal of this study is to evaluate the theoretically achievable accuracy in estimating photon cross sections at low energies (20-1000 keV) from idealized dual-energy x-ray computed tomography (CT) images. Cross-section estimation from dual-energy measurements requires a model that can accurately represent photon cross sections of any biological material as a function of energy by specifying only two characteristic parameters of the underlying material, e.g., effective atomic number and density. This paper evaluates the accuracy of two commonly used two-parameter cross-section models for postprocessing idealized measurements derived from dual-energy CT images. The parametric fit model (PFM) accounts for electron-binding effects and photoelectric absorption by power functions in atomic number and energy and scattering by the Klein-Nishina cross section. The basis-vector model (BVM) assumes that attenuation coefficients of any biological substance can be approximated by a linear combination of mass attenuation coefficients of two dissimilar basis substances. Both PFM and BVM were fit to a modern cross-section library for a range of elements and mixtures representative of naturally occurring biological materials (Z = 2-20). The PFM model, in conjunction with the effective atomic number approximation, yields estimated the total linear cross-section estimates with mean absolute and maximum error ranges of 0.6%-2.2% and 1%-6%, respectively. The corresponding error ranges for BVM estimates were 0.02%-0.15% and 0.1%-0.5%. However, for photoelectric absorption frequency, the PFM absolute mean and maximum errors were 10.8%-22.4% and 29%-50%, compared with corresponding BVM errors of 0.4%-11.3% and 0.5%-17.0%, respectively. Both models were found to exhibit similar sensitivities to image-intensity measurement uncertainties. Of the two models, BVM is the most promising approach for realizing dual-energy CT cross-section measurement.

Numerous States have adopted renewable energy schemes aimed at incentivising investments in renewable energy generation capacity that contain local content requirements as an eligibility criterion to obtain support, such as a feed-in tariff. However, these requirements may violate the international

The analysis of energy landscapes plays an important role in mathematical modelling, simulation and optimisation. Among the main features of interest are the number and distribution of local minima within the energy landscape. Granier and Kallel proposed in 2002 a new sampling procedure for estimating the number of local minima. In the present paper, we focus on improved heuristic implementations of the general framework devised by Granier and Kallel with regard to run-time behaviour and accuracy of predictions. The new heuristic method is demonstrated for the case of partial energy landscapes induced by RNA secondary structures. While the computation of minimum free energy RNA secondary structures has been studied for a long time, the analysis of folding landscapes has gained momentum over the past years in the context of co-transcriptional folding and deeper insights into cell processes. The new approach has been applied to ten RNA instances of length between 99 nt and 504 nt and their respective partial energy landscapes defined by secondary structures within an energy offset ΔE above the minimum free energy conformation. The number of local minima within the partial energy landscapes ranges from 1440 to 3441. Our heuristic method produces for the best approximations on average a deviation below 3.0% from the true number of local minima.

Jones, E. [London (United Kingdom); Leach, M. [Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London (United Kingdom). TH Huxley School of the Environment, Earth Science and Engineering, Energy-Environment Policy Research Group; Wade, J. [The Association for the Conservation of Energy, London (United Kingdom)

2000-03-01

Residential energy use accounts for approximately 28 per cent of total primary energy use in the UK, with consumption in this sector forecast to increase due partly to expanding numbers of households. Finding ways to reduce residential energy consumption must form a key part of the climate change strategies of the UK and all developed countries. In 1995, an innovative piece of legislation was passed in the UK, devolving residential energy efficiency responsibility to local government. Under 'The Home Energy Conservation Act' (HECA), local authorities are obliged to consider the energy efficiency of private as well as public housing stock. Authorities were given a duty to produce a strategy for improving residential energy efficiency in their area by 30 per cent in the next 10-15 years. This paper describes the enormous variation in the quality of local authorities' strategies and discusses reasons for this variation. Based on a nationwide survey of HECA lead officers, it considers the opportunities and constraints facing local authorities, and what has been achieved to-date under the Act. It also examines how HECA fits into the UK's national energy policy and explains the roles of other institutions across the public, private and voluntary sector in facilitating implementation of the Act. Finally, the paper considers how other countries can learn from the UK's HECA experience and can use the Act as a template to apply the principle of subsidiarity to this area of environmental policy. (Author)

Measured raw transfer interactions from which localenergy transfer is argued to result are summed in a way that directly indicates the scale disparity (s) of contributions to the net energy flux across the spectrum. It is found that the dependence upon s closely follows the s exp -4/3 form predicted by classical arguments. As a result, it is concluded that direct numerical simulation measurements lend support to the classical Kolmogorov phenomenology of local interactions and local transfer in an inertial range.

Full Text Available Based on satellite data in different temporal and spatial resolution, the current use of frequency distribution functions (PDF for surface parameters and energy fluxes is one of the most promising ways to describe subgrid heterogeneity of a landscape. Objective of this study is to find typical distribution patterns of parameters (albedo, NDVI for the determination of the actual latent heat flux (L.E determined from highly resolved satellite data within pixel on coarser scale.

Landsat ETM+, Terra MODIS and NOAA-AVHRR surface temperature and spectral reflectance were used to infer further surface parameters and radiant- and energy flux densities for LITFASS-area, a 20×20 km2 heterogeneous area in Eastern Germany, mainly characterised by the land use types forest, crop, grass and water. Based on the Penman-Monteith-approach L.E, as key quantity of the hydrological cycle, is determined for each sensor in the accordant spatial resolution with an improved parametrisation. However, using three sensors, significant discrepancies between the inferred parameters can cause flux distinctions resultant from differences of the sensor filter response functions or atmospheric correction methods. The approximation of MODIS- and AVHRR- derived surface parameters to the reference parameters of ETM (via regression lines and histogram stretching, respectively, further the use of accurate land use classifications (CORINE and a new Landsat-classification, and a consistent parametrisation for the three sensors were realized to obtain a uniform base for investigations of the spatial variability.

The analyses for 4 scenes in 2002 and 2003 showed that for forest clear distribution-patterns for NDVI and albedo are found. Grass and crop distributions show higher variability and differ significantly to each other in NDVI but only marginal in albedo. Regarding NDVI-distribution functions NDVI was found to be the key variable for L.E-determination.

Both environmental and genetic influences can result in phenotypic variation. Quantifying the relative contributions of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity to phenotypes is key to understanding the effect of environmental variation on populations. Identifying the selective pressures that drive divergence is an important, but often lacking, next step. High gene flow between high- and low-altitude common frog (Rana temporaria) breeding sites has previously been demonstrated in Scotland. The aim of this study was to assess whether local adaptation occurs in the face of high gene flow and to identify potential environmental selection pressures that drive adaptation. Phenotypic variation in larval traits was quantified in R. temporaria from paired high- and low-altitude sites using three common temperature treatments. Local adaptation was assessed using Q(ST)-F(ST) analyses, and quantitative phenotypic divergence was related to environmental parameters using Mantel tests. Although evidence of local adaptation was found for all traits measured, only variation in larval period and growth rate was consistent with adaptation to altitude. Moreover, this was only evident in the three mountains with the highest high-altitude sites. This variation was correlated with mean summer and winter temperatures, suggesting that temperature parameters are potentially strong selective pressures maintaining local adaptation, despite high gene flow.

This article considers the quasi-local conserved quantities with respect to a reference spacetime with a cosmological constant. We follow the approach developed by the authors in [25,26,7] and define the quasi-localenergy as differences of surface Hamiltonians. The ground state for the gravitational energy is taken to be a reference configuration in the de Sitter (dS) or Anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime. This defines the quasi-localenergy with respect to the reference spacetime and generalizes our previous definition with respect to the Minkowski spacetime. Through an optimal isometric embedding into the reference spacetime, the Killing fields of the reference spacetime are transplanted back to the surface in the physical spacetime to complete the definitions of quasi-local conserved quantities. We also compute how the corresponding total conserved quantities evolve under the Einstein equation with a cosmological constant.

The governance of sustainable energy transitions (SET) is facing multiple technological, economic, societal and political uncertainties. In practice, these energy-related uncertainties play a role not only at the level of “major politics,” but also in the policymaking of local decision makers and planners. This paper seeks to attain a more differentiated understanding of how uncertainties concerning the energy transition play out and are dealt with in policymaking and planning “on the ground....

The governance of sustainable energy transitions (SET) is facing multiple technological, economic, societal and political uncertainties. In practice, these energy-related uncertainties play a role not only at the level of “major politics,” but also in the policymaking of local decision makers and planners. This paper seeks to attain a more differentiated understanding of how uncertainties concerning the energy transition play out and are dealt with in policymaking and planning “on the ground....

Full Text Available Electron energy probability functions (eepfs have been measured along the axis of low pressure plasma expanding in a magnetic nozzle. The eepf at the maximum magnetic field of the nozzle shows a depleted tail commencing at an energy corresponding to the measured potential drop in the magnetic nozzle. The eepfs measured along the axis demonstrate that the potential and kinetic energies of the electrons are conserved and confirm the non-local collisionless kinetics of the electron dynamics.

The present work is devoted to experimental determination of the energy storage rate in the area of strain localization. The experimental procedure involves two complementary techniques: i.e. infrared thermography (IRT) and visible light imaging. The results of experiments have shown that during the evolution of plastic strain localization the energy storage rate in some areas of the deformed specimen drops to zero. To interpret the decrease of the energy storage rate in terms of micro-mechanisms, microstructural observations using electron back scattered diffraction (EBSC) were performed.

The Hubble Space Telescope observations of the nearby galaxy group M81/M82 and its vicinity indicate that the dynamics of the expansion outflow around the group is dominated by the antigravity of the dark energy background. The local density of dark energy in the area is estimated to be near the global dark energy density or perhaps exactly equal to it. This conclusion agrees well with our previous results for the Local Group vicinity and the vicinity of the Cen A/M83 group.

Full Text Available In this paper Chebyshev polynomial functions based locally recurrent neuro-fuzzy information system is presented for the prediction and analysis of financial and electrical energy market data. The normally used TSK-type feedforward fuzzy neural network is unable to take the full advantage of the use of the linear fuzzy rule base in accurate input–output mapping and hence the consequent part of the rule base is made nonlinear using polynomial or arithmetic basis functions. Further the Chebyshev polynomial functions provide an expanded nonlinear transformation to the input space thereby increasing its dimension for capturing the nonlinearities and chaotic variations in financial or energy market data streams. Also the locally recurrent neuro-fuzzy information system (LRNFIS includes feedback loops both at the firing strength layer and the output layer to allow signal flow both in forward and backward directions, thereby making the LRNFIS mimic a dynamic system that provides fast convergence and accuracy in predicting time series fluctuations. Instead of using forward and backward least mean square (FBLMS learning algorithm, an improved Firefly-Harmony search (IFFHS learning algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of the consequent part and feedback loop parameters for better stability and convergence. Several real world financial and energy market time series databases are used for performance validation of the proposed LRNFIS model.

This paper describes a pilot study into the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting and the derivation of physical parameters for 19 galaxies observed as part of the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS) survey as observed with the \\emph{Spitzer Space Telescope}. For this we have used the pan-spectral fitting tools developed in a series of papers by Dopita and his co-workers. We show that the standard Lee and Draine `astronomical silicate' model cannot provide a good fit to the silicate absorption features as observed in the heavily dust-extinguished ($A_{\\rm V} \\sim 50$mag.) starbursts. We have derived an empirical fit to the `starburst silicate' absorption in these objects. This absorption curve is consistent with the silicate grains being systematically larger in starburst environments than in the local Galactic interstellar medium. We demonstrate the sensitivity of the SED fitting to each of the fitted parameters, and derive these parameters for those galaxies which do not have an embedded AG...

Full Text Available This paper simplifies the energy recovery process in the series hydraulic hybrid bus’ energy regeneration system into a process in which the main axle’s moment of inertia drives the secondary element variable delivery pump/motor and brings hydraulic oil from the oil tank to the accumulator. This process enables braking of the vehicle and also allows recovery of energy to the accumulator. Based on the flow equation for the secondary element variable delivery pump/motor and the torque equilibrium equation for its axle, the force equilibrium equation for vehicle braking and the pressure variation and flow continuity equations for the accumulator, simulation studies are conducted to analyze the effects of various system parameters, such as accumulator capacity, displacement of the secondary element variable delivery pump/motor, initial operating pressure of the system, etc. on system performance during regenerative braking.

Ecological treatment engineering has been widely accepted as an artificially designed work to deal with the deteriorating ecological environment with low energy and resource consumption. To measure the energy and resource consumption and environmental support contained in the constructed wetland as a kind of ecological treatment engineering, emergy as embodied solar energy based assessment is performed and relative emergy-based indices including emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy load ratio (ELR), emergy sustainability index (ESI), net economic benefit index (Np), and renewable percentage index (Pr), are also modified to evaluate the local sustainability of the constructed wetland in this paper. A case study on Longdao River constructed wetland compared with those of some earlier conventional treatment systems indicate that more local renewable resources and less ecological cost are involved, thus promoting the economic benefit due to less energy and resource consumption and simultaneously lowering the environmental stress of the treatment system on the local areas.

In a recent analysis it was found that the local (z=0) rate at which gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) produce energy in 1 MeV photons, Q_GRB(z=0), is 300 times lower than the localenergy production rate in ultra-high energy cosmic-rays. This may appear to be in contradiction with earlier results, according to which Q_GRB(z=0) is similar to the localenergy production rate in >10^{19} eV cosmic-rays, Q_{10EeV}(z=0). This short (1 page) note identifies the origin of the apparent discrepancy and shows that Q_GRB(z=0) Q_{10EeV}(z=0) holds.

This paper presents a variational level set approach in a multi-phase formulation to segmentation of brain magnetic resonance (MR) images with intensity inhomogeneity. In our model, the local image intensities are characterized by Gaussian distributions with different means and variances. We define a local Gaussian distribution fitting energy with level set functions and local means and variances as variables. The means and variances of local intensities are considered as spatially varying functions. Therefore, our method is able to deal with intensity inhomogeneity without inhomogeneity correction. Our method has been applied to 3T and 7T MR images with promising results.

Full Text Available As one of fracture critical components of an aircraft engine, accurate life prediction of a turbine blade to disk attachment is significant for ensuring the engine structural integrity and reliability. Fatigue failure of a turbine blade is often caused under multiaxial cyclic loadings at high temperatures. In this paper, considering different failure types, a new energy-critical plane damage parameter is proposed for multiaxial fatigue life prediction, and no extra fitted material constants will be needed for practical applications. Moreover, three multiaxial models with maximum damage parameters on the critical plane are evaluated under tension-compression and tension-torsion loadings. Experimental data of GH4169 under proportional and non-proportional fatigue loadings and a case study of a turbine disk-blade contact system are introduced for model validation. Results show that model predictions by Wang-Brown (WB and Fatemi-Socie (FS models with maximum damage parameters are conservative and acceptable. For the turbine disk-blade contact system, both of the proposed damage parameters and Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT model show reasonably acceptable correlations with its field number of flight cycles. However, life estimations of the turbine blade reveal that the definition of the maximum damage parameter is not reasonable for the WB model but effective for both the FS and SWT models.

A new code viz., Linear Output Thermodynamic User-friendly Software for Energetic Systems (LOTUSES) developed during this work predicts the theoretical performance parameters such as density, detonation factor, velocity of detonation, detonation pressure and thermodynamic properties such as heat of detonation, heat of explosion, volume of explosion gaseous products. The same code also assists in the prediction of possible explosive decomposition products after explosion and power index. The developed code has been validated by calculating the parameters of standard explosives such as TNT, PETN, RDX, and HMX. Theoretically predicated parameters are accurate to the order of +/-5% deviation. To the best of our knowledge, no such code is reported in literature which can predict a wide range of characteristics of known/unknown explosives with minimum input parameters. The code can be used to obtain thermochemical and performance parameters of high energy materials (HEMs) with reasonable accuracy. The code has been developed in Visual Basic having enhanced windows environment, and thereby advantages over the conventional codes, written in Fortran. The theoretically predicted HEMs performance can be directly printed as well as stored in text (.txt) or HTML (.htm) or Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format in the hard disk. The output can also be copied into the Random Access Memory as clipboard text which can be imported/pasted in other software as in the case of other codes.

A new code viz., Linear Output Thermodynamic User-friendly Software for Energetic Systems (LOTUSES) developed during this work predicts the theoretical performance parameters such as density, detonation factor, velocity of detonation, detonation pressure and thermodynamic properties such as heat of detonation, heat of explosion, volume of explosion gaseous products. The same code also assists in the prediction of possible explosive decomposition products after explosion and power index. The developed code has been validated by calculating the parameters of standard explosives such as TNT, PETN, RDX, and HMX. Theoretically predicated parameters are accurate to the order of {+-}5% deviation. To the best of our knowledge, no such code is reported in literature which can predict a wide range of characteristics of known/unknown explosives with minimum input parameters. The code can be used to obtain thermochemical and performance parameters of high energy materials (HEMs) with reasonable accuracy. The code has been developed in Visual Basic having enhanced windows environment, and thereby advantages over the conventional codes, written in Fortran. The theoretically predicted HEMs performance can be directly printed as well as stored in text (.txt) or HTML (.htm) or Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format in the hard disk. The output can also be copied into the Random Access Memory as clipboard text which can be imported/pasted in other software as in the case of other codes.

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Bupivacaine (Marcaine®, homologue of mepivacaine, chemically related to lidocaine, is used as a local anesthetic for local infiltration, peripheral nerve block, retrobulbar block, symphathetic block, and caudal and epidural anesthesia. The aim of this investigation was to determine and to compare clinical parameters of the local anesthetic effects of bupivacaine applied with and without a vasoconstrictor. Methods. This investigation included a total of 30 randomly selected patients, who ranged in age from 30−60 years, with partial or total anodontia in the molar region of the mandible. These patients with total or partial edentulous molar part of the mandible, scheduled for dental implantation placement, were asked to participate in the study. In the first phase of the investigation, the patients were subjected to local anesthesia with 3.5 cm3 of 0.5% bupivacaine with a vasoconstrictor (adrenalin, 1: 200 000 in the right side of the mandible. After administering local anesthesia, the placement of blade, cylindrical, transdental (B.C.T. implants was performed. In the second stage of the investigation, in 7−10 days period after the first oral surgery, the patients were subjected to local anesthesia with 3.5 cm3 of 0.5% bupivacaine, but without a vasoconstrictor, in the left side of the mandible. After administering local anesthesia, the placement of B.C.T. implants was performed. During the performance of both oral surgery procedures, the following clinical parameters of the local anesthetic effects were monitored: latent period, duration and the potency of anesthesia, and the evaluation of the postoperative pain level. Results. The latent period under local anesthesia with 3.5 cm3 of 0.5% bupivacaine and vasoconstrictor was statistically significantly shorter than without vasoconstrictor. The duration of local anesthesia was longer without vasoconstrictor. There was no difference in the potency of anesthesia with or without a

DNA carries an inherent polymorphism, which surfaces under various external conditions. While B-form remains predominant under normal physiological conditions for most of the DNA sequences, low humidity and increased ion concentration cause B- to A-form transition. Certain proteins and molecules also sometimes cause local deformation of the DNA to the specific A-form. Previous experimental and computational studies focused on the overall B- to A-form transition. Here for the first time we investigated thermodynamics and mechanism of B- to A-form transition in water for various DNA sequences at a local dinucleotide base pair level. We introduced a new reaction coordinate Zp', based on the unique order parameter Zp, to drive B- to A-form transition locally and thereby calculate free energy profiles for the same for all the ten different dinucleotide steps embedded in a twelve base pair DNA. Results show that the trend of "A" and "B" philicity observed in experiment is preserved even at this local dinucleotide level, indicating its localized origin. Higher free energy cost obtained here is attributed to the cost of creating B∕A junctions along with formation of B->A transition at dimer level. We find that while water energetically stabilizes A-form for all the ten different dinucleotide steps to various extents, entropy acts against it. Therefore, we find that the stability of B-form DNA in water is entropic in origin. Mechanism of the conversion appears to be triggered by Slide; however, backbone parameters change concertedly.

Full Text Available Introduction Nowadays, agricultural systems are seeking economic, ecological and bioenvironmental goals for production of agricultural crops with protection and sustainability of the environment. Therefore, there is need to extend sustainable agricultural systems such as conservation agriculture. One of the principles of conservation agriculture is conservation tillage. Conservation tillage is a kind of tillage that retains crop residues on the soil surface or mixes it with soil using related machines. It could also affect on machine performance parameters. Energy consumption for producing one kilogram crop could be studied for conservation tillage. Several researchers have conducted studies on this issue for production of different crops including wheat, sunflower and forage crops. This study conducted to assess machine performance parameters and energy indices of conservation tillage systems for soybean cultivation in Golestan province. Materials and Methods This study was conducted to investigate the effects of conservation tillage systems on machine performance and energy indices in soybean production at the Gorgan research station of Golestan Agricultural and Natural Resource Research Center in 2012. The precipitation was 450 mm. Soil texture was silty clay loam. Treatments were four tillage methods, including no-till using row crop direct planter, no-till using grain direct drill, conventional tillage usin a disk harrow with working depth of 10-15 cm and minimum tillage using chisel packer with a working depth of 20 cm. Machine performance parameters and energy indices studied in a farm covered by wheat residues in a randomized complete block design (RCBD with four treatments and four replications. Machine performance parameters consisted of field efficiency, field capacity, total field capacity and planting uniformity index were measured. Energy indices such as energy ratio, energy productivity, energy intensity and net energy gain were

Information is presented to aid communities tailor an energy conservation program specifically to themselves. Existing and new buildings, procurement, employee transportation programs, street lighting systems, and energy resource recovery are discussed. Examples are given on what can and has been done in communities. (MCW)

In this paper, energylocalization in line-defect resonator based on locally resonant phononic crystal (PnC) is experimentally studied. The defected resonator is realized by creating line defects on a two-dimension (2-D) silicon PnC. The silicon resonator was fabricated by micro machining process and tested by a combination of the fluid coupling method and Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV). Acoustic waves with frequency range from 7.19 MHz to 7.50 MHz are trapped in the cavity, and the corresponding resonant modes are observed in-situ. The measured quality (Q) factor of the resonator, which is 427 at its resonant frequency of 7.3 MHz, is smaller than the simulated ones (666 and 5135). The experimental results agree well with the simulation results that frequencies of the trapped acoustic waves of are mostly in the range of the phononic bandgaps. The locally resonant based PnC resonator in paper with 17 dB magnitude amplification, which is normalized with respect to the transmission of a freestanding silicon slab in the same frequency range, has great potential in energy harvesting or sound concentration.

Anomalous solute transport, modeled as rate-limited mass transfer, has an observable geoelectrical signature that can be exploited to infer the controlling parameters. Previous experiments indicate the combination of time-lapse geoelectrical and fluid conductivity measurements collected during ionic tracer experiments provides valuable insight into the exchange of solute between mobile and immobile porosity. Here, we use geoelectrical measurements to monitor tracer experiments at a former uranium mill tailings site in Naturita, Colorado. We use nonlinear regression to calibrate dual-domain mass transfer solute-transport models to field data. This method differs from previous approaches by calibrating the model simultaneously to observed fluid conductivity and geoelectrical tracer signals using two parameter scales: effective parameters for the flow path upgradient of the monitoring point and the parameterslocal to the monitoring point. We use regression statistics to rigorously evaluate the information content and sensitivity of fluid conductivity and geophysical data, demonstrating multiple scales of mass transfer parameters can simultaneously be estimated. Our results show, for the first time, field-scale spatial variability of mass transfer parameters (i.e., exchange-rate coefficient, porosity) between local and upgradient effective parameters; hence our approach provides insight into spatial variability and scaling behavior. Additional synthetic modeling is used to evaluate the scope of applicability of our approach, indicating greater range than earlier work using temporal moments and a Lagrangian-based Damköhler number. The introduced Eulerian-based Damköhler is useful for estimating tracer injection duration needed to evaluate mass transfer exchange rates that range over several orders of magnitude.

The purpose of this study is to characterize the eye lens (human, porcine) by acoustic measurements and to investigate whether relations exist with the local protein content. The acoustic measurements were performed with a 'scanning acoustic microscope' (SAM), operating at a frequency of 20 MHz. At

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary energy levels on the physiological parameters and reproductive performance of gestating first parity sows. A total of 52 F1 gilts (Yorkshire×Landrace) were allocated to 4 dietary treatments using a completely randomized design. Each treatment contained diets with 3,100, 3,200, 3,300, or 3,400 kcal of metabolizable energy (ME)/kg, and the daily energy intake of the gestating gilts in each treatment were 6,200, 6,400, 6,600, and 6,800 kcal of ME, respectively. During gestation, the body weight (p = 0.04) and weight gain (p = 0.01) of gilts linearly increased with increasing dietary energy levels. Backfat thickness was not affected at d110 of gestation by dietary treatments, but increased linearly (p = 0.05) from breeding to d 110 of gestation. There were no significant differences on the litter size or litter birth weight. During lactation, the voluntary feed intake of sows tended to decrease when the dietary energy levels increased (p = 0.08). No difference was observed in backfat thickness of the sows within treatments; increasing energy levels linearly decreased the body weight of sows (psows during gestation and lactation. NRC (2012) suggested that the energy requirement of the gestation gilt should be between 6,678 and 7,932 kcal of ME/d. Similarly, our results suggested that 3,100 kcal of ME/kg is not enough to maintain the reproductive performance for gilts during gestation with 2 kg feed daily. Gilts in the treatment 3,400 kcal of ME/kg have a higher weaning number of piglets, but bodyweight and backfat loss were higher than other treatments during lactation. But bodyweight and backfat loss were higher than other treatments during lactation. Consequently, an adequate energy requirement of gestating gilts is 6,400 kcal of ME/d. PMID:27282975

Features of the Jacobian matrix of the delay coordinates map are exploited for quantifying the robustness and reliability of state and parameter estimations for a given dynamical model using an observed time series. Relevant concepts of this approach are introduced and illustrated for discrete and continuous time systems employing a filtered H\\'enon map and a R\\"ossler system.

The parametric excited vibration of a pipe under thermal loading may occur because the fluid is often transported heatedly. The effects of thermal loading on the pipe stability and local bifurcations have rarely been studied. The stability and the local bifurcations of the lateral parametric resonance of the pipe induced by the pulsating fluid velocity and the thermal loading are studied. A mathematical model for a simply supported pipe is developed according to the Hamilton principle. Two partial differential equations describing the lateral and longitudinal vibration are obtained. The singularity theory is utilized to analyze the stability and the bifurcation of the system solutions. The transition sets and the bifurcation diagrams are obtained both in the unfolding parameter space and the physical parameter space, which can reveal the relationship between the thermal field parameter and the dynamic behaviors of the pipe. The frequency response and the relationship between the critical thermal rate and the pulsating fluid velocity are obtained. The numerical results demonstrate the accuracy of the single-mode expansion of the solution and the stability and local bifurcation analyses. It also confirms the existence of the chaos. The presented work can provide valuable information for the design of the pipeline and the controllers to prevent the structural instability.

Using a tight-binding model for a one-dimensional Lieb lattice, we show that the localization length near a gapped flat band behaves differently from the typical Urbach tail in a band gap: instead of reducing monotonically as the energy E moves away from the flat band energy E_{FB}, the presence of the flat band causes a nonmonotonic energy dependence of the localization length. This energy dependence follows a scaling property when the energy is within the spread (W) of uniformly distributed diagonal disorder, i.e. the localization length is only a function of (E-E_{FB})/W. Several other lattices are compared to distinguish the effect of the flat band on the localization length, where we eliminate, shift, or duplicate the flat band, without changing the dispersion relations of other bands. Using the top right element of the Green's matrix, we derive an analytical relation between the density of states and the localization length, which shines light on these properties of the latter, including a summation rul...

In this work, BxGa1-xAs/GaAs epilayers with three different boron compositions were elaborated by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on GaAs (001) substrate. Structural study using High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) have been used to estimate the boron fraction. The luminescence keys were carried out as functions of temperature in the range 10-300 K, by the techniques of photoluminescence (PL). The low PL temperature has shown an abnormal emission appeared at low energy side witch attributed to the recombination through the deep levels. In all samples, the PL peak energy and the full width at half maximum (FWHM), present an anomalous behavior as a result of the competition process between localized and delocalized carriers. We propose the Localized-state Ensemble model to explain the unusual photoluminescence behaviors. Electrical carriers generation, thermal escape, recapture, radiative and non-radiative lifetime are taken into account. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements were found to be in reasonable agreement with the model of localized states. We controlled the evolution of such parameters versus composition by varying the V/III ratio to have a quantitative and qualitative understanding of the recombination mechanisms. At high temperature, the model can be approximated to the band-tail-state emission.

We consider the problem of parameter estimation and energy minimization for a region-based semantic segmentation model. The model divides the pixels of an image into non-overlapping connected regions, each of which is to a semantic class. In the context of energy minimization, the main problem we face is the large number of putative pixel-to-region assignments. We address this problem by designing an accurate linear programming based approach for selecting the best set of regions from a large dictionary. The dictionary is constructed by merging and intersecting segments obtained from multiple bottom-up over-segmentations. The linear program is solved efficiently using dual decomposition. In the context of parameter estimation, the main problem we face is the lack of fully supervised data. We address this issue by developing a principled framework for parameter estimation using diverse data. More precisely, we propose a latent structural support vector machine formulation, where the latent variables model any missing information in the human annotation. Of particular interest to us are three types of annotations: (i) images segmented using generic foreground or background classes; (ii) images with bounding boxes specified for objects; and (iii) images labeled to indicate the presence of a class. Using large, publicly available datasets we show that our methods are able to significantly improve the accuracy of the region-based model.

A Friedman cosmology is investigated based on scalar-tensor gravitation with general metric coupling and scalar potential functions. We show that for a broad class of such functions, the scalar field can be dynamically trapped using a recently suggested mechanism. The trapped scalar can drive inflation and accelerated cosmic expansion, compatible with standard requirements. The inflationary phase admits a natural exit with a value of the Hubble parameter dictated by the duration of inflation in a parameter independent manner. For inflationary duration consistent with the GUT description, the resulting Hubble parameter is found to be consistent with its observed value. - Highlights: • First model for inflation and dark energy in cosmology and core-collapse supernovae in astronomy to be unified under the same theory. • Achieved with a natural simple extension of Einstein's General Relativity using a new scalar field. • Potentially far-researching consequences in cosmology for dark matter, dark energy and inflation, testable through core-collapse supernovae.

We discuss the determination of the strong coupling α{sub MS}(m{sub Z}) or equivalently the QCD Λ-parameter. Its determination requires the use of perturbation theory in α{sub s}(μ) in some scheme, s, and at some energy scale μ. The higher the scale μ the more accurate perturbation theory becomes, owing to asymptotic freedom. As one step in our computation of the Λ-parameter in three-flavor QCD, we perform lattice computations in a scheme which allows us to non-perturbatively reach very high energies, corresponding to α{sub s}=0.1 and below. We find that (continuum) perturbation theory is very accurate there, yielding a three percent error in the Λ-parameter, while data around α{sub s}∼0.2 is clearly insufficient to quote such a precision. It is important to realize that these findings are expected to be generic, as our scheme has advantageous properties regarding the applicability of perturbation theory.

An experimental investigation was made of the effect of sensitizing ytterbium- and erbium-activated lead barium phosphate glasses with Cr/sup 3 +/ ions on the energyparameters of lasing due to the /sup 4/I/sub 13//sub ///sub 2/--/sup 4/I/sub 15//sub ///sub 2/ transition in Er/sup 3 +/ ions (lambda/sub l/ = 1.54 ..mu..). It was found that substantial sensitization was achieved in phosphate glasses for only low concentrations of Cr/sup 3 +/ ions (< or approx. =0.07 wt.%) so that the efficiency of flashlamp-pumped erbium lasers could be improved by a factor of 1.5--4. The optimal conditions for achieving the best energyparameters of these lasers under free-lasing conditions were determined allowing for the spectral and energy distributions of the flashlamp radiation in the absorption range of the coactivator ions. By implementing these conditions using active elements 6 mm in diameter and 85 mm long, containing 17 wt.% Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/, 0.25 wt.% Er/sub 2/O/sub 3/, and 0.07 wt.% Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/, it was possible to achieve an efficiency of 1.2% for an electrical pump energy of 1 kJ. This was the highest efficiency achieved so far for erbium lasers. Measurements were made of the efficiency of transfer of the excitation energy from Cr/sup 3 +/ ions to Yb/sup 3 +/ ions at high levels of excitation of the medium.

In order to estimate the effects of a local structure on the Hubble parameter we calculate the low-redshift expansion for H(z) and (δH)/(H) for an observer at the center of a spherically symmetric matter distribution in the presence of a cosmological constant. We then test the accuracy of the formulas comparing them with fully relativistic non-perturbative numerical calculations for different cases for the density profile. The low-redshift expansion we obtain gives results more precise than perturbation theory since it is based on the use of an exact solution of Einstein's field equations. For larger density contrasts the low-redshift formulas accuracy improves respect to the perturbation theory accuracy because the latter is based on the assumption of a small density contrast, while the former does not rely on such an assumption. The formulas can be used to take into account the effects on the Hubble expansion parameter due to the monopole component of the local structure. If the H(z) observations will show deviations from the ΛCDM prediction compatible with the formulas we have derived, this could be considered an independent evidence of the existence of a local inhomogeneity, and the formulas could be used to determine the characteristics of this local structure. (orig.)

Within a wave energy converter's operational bandwidth, device operation tends to be optimal in converting mechanical energy into a more useful form at an incident wave period that is proximal to that of a power-producing mode of motion. Point absorbers, a particular classification of wave energy converters, tend to have a relative narrow optimal bandwidth. When not operating within the narrow optimal bandwidth, a point absorber's response and efficiency is attenuated. Given the wide range of sea-states that can be expected during a point absorber's operational life, these devices require a means to adjust, or control, their natural response to maximize the amount of energy absorbed in the large population of non-optimal conditions. In the field of wave energy research, there is considerable interest in the use of non-linear control techniques to this end. Non-linear control techniques introduce time-varying and state dependent control parameters into the point absorber motion equations, which usually motivates a computationally expensive numerical integration to determine the response of the device - important metrics such as gross converted power and relative travels of the device's pieces are extracted through post processing of the time series data. As an alternative, the work presented in this thesis was based on a closed form perturbation based approach for analysis of the response of a device with periodically-varying control parameters, subject to regular wave forcing, in the frequency domain. The proposed perturbation based method provides significant savings in computational time and enables the device's response to be represented in a closed form manner with a relatively small number of solution components - each component is comprised of a complex amplitude and oscillation frequency. This representation of the solution was found to be very concise and descriptive, and to lend itself to the calculation of gross absorbed power and travel constraint

Over the last decade a large number of routing protocols has been designed for achieving energy efficiency in data collecting wireless sensor networks. The drawbacks of using a static sink are well known. It has been argued in the literature that a mobile sink may improve the energy dissipation compared to a static one. Some authors focus on minimizing Emax, the maximum energy dissipation of any single node in the network, while others aim at minimizing Ebar, the average energy dissipation over all nodes. In our paper we take a more holistic view, considering both Emax and Ebar. The main contribution of this paper is to provide a simulation-based analysis of the energy efficiency of WSNs with static and mobile sinks. The focus is on two important configuration parameters: mobility path of the sink and duty cycling value of the nodes. On the one hand, it is well known that in the case of a mobile sink with fixed trajectory the choice of the mobility path influences energy efficiency. On the other hand, in some types of applications sensor nodes spend a rather large fraction of their total lifetime in idle mode, and therefore higher energy efficiency can be achieved by using the concept of reduced duty cycles. In particular, we quantitatively analyze the influence of duty cycling and the mobility radius of the sink as well as their interrelationship in terms of energy consumption for a well-defined model scenario. The analysis starts from general load considerations and is refined into a geometrical model. This model is validated by simulations which are more realistic in terms of duty cycling than previous work. It is illustrated that over all possible configuration scenarios in terms of duty cycle and mobility radius of the sink the energy dissipation in the WSN can vary up to a factor of nine in terms of Emax and up to a factor of 17 in terms of Ebar. It turns out that in general the choice of the duty cycle value is more important for achieving energy efficiency

Over the last decade a large number of routing protocols has been designed for achieving energy efficiency in data collecting wireless sensor networks. The drawbacks of using a static sink are well known. It has been argued in the literature that a mobile sink may improve the energy dissipation compared to a static one. Some authors focus on minimizing Emax, the maximum energy dissipation of any single node in the network, while others aim at minimizing Ebar, the average energy dissipation over all nodes. In our paper we take a more holistic view, considering both Emax and Ebar. The main contribution of this paper is to provide a simulation-based analysis of the energy efficiency of WSNs with static and mobile sinks. The focus is on two important configuration parameters: mobility path of the sink and duty cycling value of the nodes. On the one hand, it is well known that in the case of a mobile sink with fixed trajectory the choice of the mobility path influences energy efficiency. On the other hand, in some types of applications sensor nodes spend a rather large fraction of their total lifetime in idle mode, and therefore higher energy efficiency can be achieved by using the concept of reduced duty cycles. In particular, we quantitatively analyze the influence of duty cycling and the mobility radius of the sink as well as their interrelationship in terms of energy consumption for a well-defined model scenario. The analysis starts from general load considerations and is refined into a geometrical model. This model is validated by simulations which are more realistic in terms of duty cycling than previous work. It is illustrated that over all possible configuration scenarios in terms of duty cycle and mobility radius of the sink the energy dissipation in the WSN can vary up to a factor of nine in terms of Emax and up to a factor of 17 in terms of Ebar. It turns out that in general the choice of the duty cycle value is more important for achieving energy efficiency

Using a density dependent finite-range effective interaction of Yukawa form the nuclear mean field in asymmetric nuclear matter is expanded in terms of power series of asymmetry β (=(ρ{sub n}−ρ{sub p})/(ρ) ) as u{sub τ}(k,ρ,β)=u{sub 0}(k,ρ)±u{sub sym,1}(k,ρ)β+u{sub sym,2}(ρ)β{sup 2}. The behavior of nuclear symmetry potential u{sub sym,1}(k,ρ) around the Fermi momentum k{sub f} is found to be connected to the density dependence of symmetry energy E{sub sym}(ρ) and nucleon effective mass (m{sub 0}{sup ⁎})/m (k=k{sub f},ρ) in symmetric nuclear matter. Two different trends of momentum dependence for nuclear symmetry potential is observed depending on the choice of strength parameters of exchange interaction, but at Fermi momentum it is found to be independent of the choice of parameters. The nuclear symmetry energy E{sub sym}(ρ) and its slope L(ρ) are expressed analytically in terms of nuclear mean field in isospin asymmetric nuclear matter using the same interaction. We find that the second order nuclear symmetry potential u{sub sym,2}(ρ) cannot be neglected while calculating the density slope of symmetry energy L(ρ) as well as the nuclear mean field in extremely neutron (proton) rich nuclear matter.

Sixteen infants were analyzed longitudinally from the onset of independent walking to 3 years of age using time parameters, speed and energy recovery. Considerable variation and irregularities were observed in many parameters of infant walking, especially until 13 months of age when infants had difficulty in walking steadily step by step. Infant walking until 3 years of age was characterized by a small braking duration, caused mainly by the forward inclination of the trunk, a large relative stance phase duration, which maintained static balance, short stride length, due to the small range of the lower limb joint angle, and a small recovery of external energy. These characteristics were also predominantly evident until 13 months of age. The small recovery characteristic of infants was caused by flexed lower limb joints, pronounced irregularities in energy output, and in younger infants, slow speed. The maximum recovery up until 2 years of age, though smaller than in adults, appeared at about 0.45 dimensionless speed, which is about the same speed that adults in particular naturally and at which their maximum recovery appeared. The forward inclination of the trunk and the lower limb joint angle, influenced the development of many characteristics of bipedal walking.

In this paper, we perform design parameter study and design optimization for a piezoelectric energy harvester considering vehicle speed variation. Initially, a FEM model using ANSYS is developed to appraise the performance of a piezoelectric harvester in a rotating tire. The energy harvester proposed here uses the vertical deformation at contact patch area from the car weight and centrifugal acceleration. This harvester is composed of a beam which is clamped at both ends and a piezoelectric material is attached on the top of that. The piezoelectric material possesses the 31 mode of transduction in which the direction of applied field is perpendicular to that of the electric field. To optimize the harvester performance, we would change the geometrical parameters of the harvester to obtain the maximum power. One of the main challenges in the design process is obtaining the required power while considering the constraints for harvester weight and volume. These two concerns are addressed in this paper. Since the final goal of this study is the development of an energy harvester with a wireless sensor system installed in a real car, the real time data for varied velocity of a vehicle are taken into account for power measurements. This study concludes that the proposed design is applicable to wireless tire sensor systems.

Almost exactly 100 yr after the original discovery of cosmic rays, the V1 spacecraft has observed, for the first time, the local interstellar medium energy spectra of cosmic ray H, He, C/O nuclei at nonrelativistic kinetic energies, after leaving the heliosphere modulation region on 2012 August 25. We explain these observations by modeling the propagation of these particles in the local Galactic environment with an updated steady-state spatial diffusion model including all particle momentum losses with the local interstellar gas (Coulomb/ionization, pion production, adiabatic deceleration, and fragmentation interactions). Excellent agreement with the V1 cosmic ray H observations is obtained if the solar system resides within a spatially homogeneous layer of distributed cosmic ray sources injecting the same momentum power law ∝p {sup –s} with s = 2.24 ± 0.12. The best fit to the V1 H observations also provides an estimate of the characteristic break kinetic energy T{sub C} = 116 ± 27 MeV, representing the transition from ionization/Coulomb energy losses at low energies to pion production and adiabatic deceleration losses in a Galactic wind at high energies. As the determined value is substantially smaller than 217 MeV in the absence of adiabatic deceleration, our results prove the existence of a Galactic wind in the local Galactic environment.

We present the surface mass density - gas metallicity (Σ_*-Z) relation for more than 500,000 spatially-resolved star-forming regions from a sample of 617 disk galaxies included in the MaNGA survey. We find a tight relation between these local properties with higher metallicities as the surface density increases, resembling a scaled-down version of the relation found previously for their integrated counterparts. This relation expands over three orders of magnitude in the surface mass and a factor of 8 in metallicity. Our large sample allows us to study the impact of global properties in this local relation. In particular, we find that for most disk galaxies the Σ_*-Z relation does not depend on the total stellar mass. Even more, for a large fraction of our sample (log(M_*/M_{⊙}) > 9.2) the observed metallicity gradients are well reproduced by the mass density gradients and the Σ_*-Z relation. We also find that this relation does not change significantly within the range of redshifts span by our sample. Our results suggest as the predominant scenario for metal enrichment as gas been recycled locally at shorter timescales in comparison to other global processes such as gas accretion or outflows.

The varying low-energy contribution to the photon spectra at points within and around radiotherapy photon fields is associated with variations in the responses of non-water equivalent dosimeters and in the water-to-material dose conversion factors for tissues such as the red bone marrow. In addition, the presence of low-energy photons in the photon spectrum enhances the RBE in general and in particular for the induction of second malignancies. The present study discusses the general rules valid for the low-energy spectral component of radiotherapeutic photon beams at points within and in the periphery of the treatment field, taking as an example the Siemens Primus linear accelerator at 6 MV and 15 MV. The photon spectra at these points and their typical variations due to the target system, attenuation, single and multiple Compton scattering, are described by the Monte Carlo method, using the code BEAMnrc/EGSnrc. A survey of the role of low energy photons in the spectra within and around radiotherapy fields is presented. In addition to the spectra, some data compression has proven useful to support the overview of the behaviour of the low-energy component. A characteristic indicator of the presence of low-energy photons is the dose fraction attributable to photons with energies not exceeding 200 keV, termed P(D)(200 keV). Its values are calculated for different depths and lateral positions within a water phantom. For a pencil beam of 6 or 15 MV primary photons in water, the radial distribution of P(D)(200 keV) is bellshaped, with a wide-ranging exponential tail of half value 6 to 7 cm. The P(D)(200 keV) value obtained on the central axis of a photon field shows an approximately proportional increase with field size. Out-of-field P(D)(200 keV) values are up to an order of magnitude higher than on the central axis for the same irradiation depth. The 2D pattern of P(D)(200 keV) for a radiotherapy field visualizes the regions, e.g. at the field margin, where changes of

2015 will see the first observations of Advanced LIGO and the start of the gravitational-wave (GW) advanced-detector era. One of the most promising sources for ground-based GW detectors are binary neutron-star (BNS) coalescences. In order to use any detections for astrophysics, we must understand the capabilities of our parameter-estimation analysis. By simulating the GWs from an astrophysically motivated population of BNSs, we examine the accuracy of parameter inferences in the early advanced-detector era. We find that sky location, which is important for electromagnetic follow-up, can be determined rapidly (~5 s), but that sky areas may be hundreds of square degrees. The degeneracy between component mass and spin means there is significant uncertainty for measurements of the individual masses and spins; however, the chirp mass is well measured (typically better than 0.1%).

This UK government's report sets out actions that could help local authorities tackle climate change and alleviate fuel poverty. Details are given of the measures covering improving efficiency in the use of electricity, increasing the amount of electricity generated or heat produced by microgeneration, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing the number of households living in fuel poverty. A user guide to the report is presented, and the roles of local authorities in England and in Wales are outlined. Key sources of advice and support, ideas for action, a good practice strategic approach and community leadership are examined along with environmental protection, planning, housing, transport and schools and education.

The energy distribution in the Locally Rotationally Symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type II space-time is obtained by considering the Moller energy-momentum definition in both Einstein's theory of general relativity and teleparallel theory of relativity. The energy distribution which includes both the matter and gravitational field is found to be zero in both of these different gravitation theories. This result agrees with previous works of Cooperstock and Israelit, Rosen, Johri et al., Banerjee and Sen, Vargas, and Aydogdu and Salti. Our result that the total energy of the universe is zero supports the view points of Albrow and Tryon.

One of the main goals of heavy-ion collision experiments is to study the structure of the QCD phase diagram. The QCD phase diagram is typically plotted as temperature ($T$) vs. baryon chemical potential ($\\mu_{B}$). The statistical thermal model THERMUS compared to experimental data provides chemical freeze-out parameters such as temperature, baryon chemical potential and strangeness saturation factor ($\\gamma_{s}$). However, the values of these parameters depend on models and their underlying assumptions, such as the nature of the ensemble used, particle ratios vs. particle yields, and the treatment of feed-down contributions to particle yields. In these proceedings, we report on a systematic study of chemical freeze-out parameters using THERMUS, as a function of collision centrality and collision energies ($\\sqrt{s_{NN}} =7.7-200$ GeV). These studies are performed with the string melting version of A Multi-Phase Transport (AMPT) model. A comparison is presented of freeze-out parameters between grand-canonic...

Full Text Available The effective architectural and construction system with rational parameters based on main energy principles applied to construction of buildings and constructions with a small-step and large-step frames, representing the metal frame of full factory production collected in spatial system on high-strength bolts and previously strained combined prestressed concrete slabs which formed without timbering is proposed in this paper. The main constructive and technological features of the proposed frame, which allows reducing construction period, increasing working efficiency, and reducing labor intensity by using factory-made materials, quick erection of all process elements through the use of highstrength bolts is considered. The advantages of this constructive system in comparison with alternative systems are shown. The basic concepts of "rational decisions" to the design, namely, the objective of the optimal management of the structure parameters, which can not only improve its basic performance indicators, but also, and most importantly, improve operational reliability, is presented.

We use the newly released Union2 SNe Ia dataset to constrain cosmographic parameters, namely deceleration, jerk and snap parameters (q_0,j_0 and s_0), then calibrate five luminosity relations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at redshift z≤1.4. Supposing that the GRB luminosity relations do not evolve with redshift, we obtain the distance moduli of 66 high-redshift GRBs. At last, we combine the observation datasets including Cosmic Microwave Background, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and 116 GRBs to constrain some widely-discussed dark energy models. We find the ΛCDM model is the best according to the Bayesian Information Criterion, and the JBP model is the best according to the Akaike Information Criterion.

We use the newly released Union2 SNe Ia dataset to constrain cosmographic parameters, namely the deceleration, jerk and snap parameters (q0, j0 and s0), then calibrate the five luminosity relations of Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) at redshift z ≤ 1.4. Assuming that the GRB luminosity relations do not evolve with the redshift, we obtain the distance moduli of 66 high-redshift GRBs. At last, we combine the observational datasets including the observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) and the 116 GRBs with known redshifts to constrain some widely-discussed dark energy models. We find that the ΛCDM model is the best according to the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and the JBP model is the best according to the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC).

In this paper, the dynamic behavior analysis of the electromechanical coupling characteristics of a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) with a permanent magnet (PM) brushless direct-current (DC) motor (BLDCM) is studied. The Hopf bifurcation theory and nonlinear methods are used to investigate the generation process and mechanism of the coupled dynamic behavior for the average current controlled FESS in the charging mode. First, the universal nonlinear dynamic model of the FESS based on the BLDCM is derived. Then, for a 0.01 kWh/1.6 kW FESS platform in the Key Laboratory of the Smart Grid at Tianjin University, the phase trajectory of the FESS from a stable state towards chaos is presented using numerical and stroboscopic methods, and all dynamic behaviors of the system in this process are captured. The characteristics of the low-frequency oscillation and the mechanism of the Hopf bifurcation are investigated based on the Routh stability criterion and nonlinear dynamic theory. It is shown that the Hopf bifurcation is directly due to the loss of control over the inductor current, which is caused by the system control parameters exceeding certain ranges. This coupling nonlinear process of the FESS affects the stability of the motor running and the efficiency of energy transfer. In this paper, we investigate into the effects of control parameter change on the stability and the stability regions of these parameters based on the averaged-model approach. Furthermore, the effect of the quantization error in the digital control system is considered to modify the stability regions of the control parameters. Finally, these theoretical results are verified through platform experiments.

Various photon interaction parameters (mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers and effective electron numbers) have been computed for different compositions of Cu-Pb alloys in the wide energy regime of 1 keV to 100 GeV. The mass attenuation coefficients have been computed using mixture rule with the help of WinXCom (mass attenuation coefficient database for elements). The variation of mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers and electron density has been analysed and discussed in terms of dominance of different photon interaction processes viz. Compton scattering, photoelectric effect and pair production.

The iterated fission probability interpretation of the adjoint flux forms the basis for a method to perform adjoint weighting of tally scores in continuous-energy Monte Carlo k-eigenvalue calculations. Applying this approach, adjoint-weighted tallies are developed for two applications: calculating point reactor kinetics parameters and estimating changes in reactivity from perturbations. Calculations are performed in the widely-used production code, MCNP, and the results of both applications are compared with discrete ordinates calculations, experimental measurements, and other Monte Carlo calculations.

The conceptual Fast Energy Amplifier, proposed by Rubbia et al. (1995), consists of a combination of a U-233/Th-232 fuelled fast-neutron subcritical facility with a proton accelerator. An intense beam of 1 GeV protons is injected into liquid lead at the core centre and drives the reactor by producing spallation neutrons. The burst of spallation neutrons produced by a single proton alters the basic neutron statistics which are well known for thermal neutrons in conventional nuclear reactors. A short assessment of standard neutron noise analysis methods is made with respect to monitoring neutron parameter data. (author) 18 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs.

Under the assumption that the variations of parameters of nature and the current acceleration of the universe are related and governed by the evolution of a single scalar field, we show how information can be obtained on the nature of dark energy from observational detection of (or constraints on) cosmological variations of the fine structure constant and the proton-to-electron mass ratio. We also comment on the current observational status, and on the prospects for improvements with future spectrographs such as ESPRESSO and CODEX.

We study the behavior of the parameter w(z) of the dark-energy equation of state, P{sub x} = w(z){rho}{sub x}, as function of the redshift data from GRBs, to check its deviations from its most accepted value of -1. To this end we first find a reasonable calibration for the GRB in order to extract the luminosity distance d{sub L} as a function of the redshift. Then we proceed to calculate the Hubble function H(z) and w(z).

Blast furnaces are crucial equipment for steel production. A typical furnace risks unexpected accidents caused by contraction and expansion of the walls under an environment of high temperature and pressure. In this study, an acoustic emission (AE) monitoring system was tested for evaluating the large-scale structural health of a blast furnace. Based on the growth of shell cracks with the emission of high energy levels, severe damage can be detected by monitoring increases in the AE energyparameter. Using this monitoring system, steel mill operators can establish a maintenance period, in which actual shell cracks can be verified by cross-checking the UT. From this study, we expect that AE systems permit early fault detection for structural health monitoring by establishing evaluation criteria based on the severity of shell cracking.

in space heating demand. Also, the infiltration rate and occupancy behavior play important role on space heating consumption. It was concluded that these findings highly depend on the specific case study and the characteristics of the buildings that are examined. If outdoor climate and location differ from...... that lead to the largest variations in energy performance of residential buildings in Denmark. A set of sensitivity analysis has been carried out using an extensive search algorithm. These sensitivity analyses were then applied for modelling a reference building representing Danish single-family houses...... of the 1940’s. The study was able to determine the key variables that affect energy use in old Danish single-family houses using sensitivity analysis and proposes a methodology for parameter optimization. This analysis pointed out that the insulation in external walls and roof lead to the largest variations...

or if there are significant differences among the homeowners, what causes these differences and how does this affect the future motivation strategy. The key parameters for if and how the homeowner can be motivated are related to the homeowner’s position in life: age, children’s’ age, time of ownership, occupation and income......In Denmark and around Europe there is a problem of motivating homeowners to conduct energy renovation. A great energy saving potential is found in the Danish single-family houses erected 1960-79, but the potential has not been utilized for various reasons. However, studies have shown...... that the average Danish single-family house owner can be motivated by improvements in comfort, indoor environment and architecture combined with a reasonable economy. The objective of this paper is, based on the motivation survey results, to determine if all homeowners can be assumed as one homogeneous group...

To investigate the value of dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters for predicting local control in magnetic resonance (MR) image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) for patients with cervical cancer. Our study population consists of 141 patients with cervical cancer (Stages IB-IVA) treated with 45-50 Gy external beam radiotherapy plus four times 7 Gy IGBT with or without cisplatin. Gross tumor volume (GTV), high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV), and intermediate-risk clinical target volume (IRCTV) were contoured, and DVH parameters (minimum dose delivered to 90% of the volume of interest [D90] and D100) were assessed. Doses were converted to the equivalent dose in 2 Gy (EQD2) by applying the linear quadratic model (alpha/beta = 10 Gy). Groups were defined for patients with or without local recurrence (LR) in the true pelvis for tumor size at diagnosis (GTV at diagnosis [GTVD] of 2-5 cm (Group 1) or greater than 5 cm (Group 2) and for tumor size response at IGBT (HRCTV) of 2-5 cm (Group 2a) or greater than 5 cm (Group 2b). Eighteen LRs were observed. The most important DVH parameters correlated with LR were the D90 and D100 for HRCTV. Mean D90 and D100 values for HRCTV were 86 +/- 16 and 65 +/- 10 Gy, respectively. The D90 for HRCTV greater than 87 Gy resulted in an LR incidence of 4% (3 of 68) compared with 20% (15 of 73) for D90 less than 87 Gy. The effect was most pronounced in the tumor group (Group 2b). We showed an increase in local control in IGBT in patients with cervical cancer with the dose delivered, which can be expressed by the D90 and D100 for HRCTV. Local control rates greater than 95% can be achieved if the D90 (EQD2) for HRCTV is 87 Gy or greater.

The present work is based on the idea of an interacting framework of new holographic dark energy with cold dark matter in the background of $f(T)$ gravity. Here, we have considered the flat modified Friedmann universe for $f(T)$ gravity which is filled with new Holographic dark energy and dark matter. We have derived some cosmological parameters like Deceleration parameter, EoS parameter, State-finder parameters, Cosmographic parameters, {\\it Om} parameter and graphically investigated the nature of these parameters for the above mentioned interacting scenario. The results are found to be consistent with the accelerating universe. Also we have graphically investigated the trajectories in $\\omega $--$ \\omega'$ plane for different values of the interacting parameter and explored the freezing region and thawing region in $\\omega $--$ \\omega'$ plane. Finally, we have analyzed the stability of this model.

A study is made of the velocity distribution along the duct width of an induction MHD machine with a traveling magnetic field under pump, generator and damping conditions. The computed velocity profiles were compared to those obtained on a sodium circuit under pump and damping conditions. The parameter values for electromagnetic interaction E in the experiments and in the computations changed from 2 to 4.5. Agreement was obtained between the measured velocity distribution and the compared ones at values E > 1. 6 references, 7 figures.

Commercial exploitation of wind parks started in the early 1990s in Germany, and in the mid 1990s in Spain and Argentina. Then, there have been an incremental use of wind turbines in rural areas. Many of them are characterised in economic terms by a diversified economic structure with a marginal significance. In the ''innovative democracy and concrete institutional economy'' approach one of the key problems regarding wind turbines, is the local acceptance. This raises the following questions: how is local acceptance, from the perspective of the innovative democracy, of the wind regions in Germany and Spain and why it was developed in this way. Another central question concerning the local acceptance of wind energy is how wind regions in Argentina (as an example of an emerging country investing in renewable energy) can learn from the European experiences. Based on this, I would like to make a comparative analysis between Germany, Spain and Argentina on the basis of various regions with the corresponding wind parks, within regional differences and similarities are to be worked out. First results tend to demonstrate that wind energy promotion programs will be most successful (in terms of their higher level of social acceptance) in locales that have participatory decision making structures and incorporate wind energy development into broader local or regional development programs. For example in touristic programs. In order to verify this the case study approach is focused on comparing selected regions based on the three countries. (orig.)

Rare-earth-doped glasses are key materials for optical technology due to the luminescent properties of 4fn ions. The crystal-field model describes the effect of local environment on transitions between 4f electrons. We present a detailed modeling study of the optical spectra of sodium disilicate glass, 33Na2O·67SiO2, doped with 0.2% and 1.0 mol% Eu2O3. This study uses very large molecular dynamics models with up to 100 Eu3+ ions, the superposition model for covalent and overlap effects on crystal-field parameters, and realistic values for homogeneous linewidth broadening. The simulated spectra are in reasonable agreement with experiment. The trends in 7FJ energy levels across different Eu3+ ion sites have been examined and a very detailed analysis is presented that looks at how features of the spectra are related to features of the local environment of Eu3+ ions. Increasing the crystal-field strength Stotal causes the 7F0 energy level to decrease and causes the splitting of 7FJ manifolds to increase, and this is due to increasing mixing of 4f wave functions. To a reasonable approximation the crystal-field strength components Sk depend on angular positions of ligands independently of distances to ligands. The former are seen to be more significant in determining Sk, which are closely related to the rotationally invariant bond-orientational order parameters Qk. The values of S2 are approximately linear in Q2, and the values of Q2 are higher for fivefold than sixfold coordinated rare-earth ions. These results can be of importance for efforts to enhance the local environment of rare-earth ions in oxide glasses for optical applications.

This paper studies theoretically the elastically deformed state and analyzes deformation mechanisms in nanocrystals in the zones of localized elastic distortions and related disclination-type defects, such as dipole, quadrupole and multipole of partial disclinations. Significant differences in the energies of quadrupole and multipole configurations in comparison with nanodipole are revealed. The mechanism of deformation localization in the field of elastic distortions is proposed, which is a quasi-periodic sequence of formation and relaxation of various disclination ensembles with a periodic change in the energy of the defect.

We study the expected variance of measurements of the Hubble constant, H0, as calculated in either linear perturbation theory or using non-linear velocity power spectra derived from N-body simulations. We compare the variance with that obtained by carrying out mock observations in the N-body simu......We study the expected variance of measurements of the Hubble constant, H0, as calculated in either linear perturbation theory or using non-linear velocity power spectra derived from N-body simulations. We compare the variance with that obtained by carrying out mock observations in the N......-body simulations, and show that the estimator typically used for the local Hubble constant in studies based on perturbation theory is different from the one used in studies based on N-body simulations. The latter gives larger weight to distant sources, which explains why studies based on N-body simulations tend...... of the percent determination of the Hubble constant in the local universe....

Full Text Available Using the standard method, we studied the germination energy of seed of seven different sunflower genotypes (five hybrids and two cytoplasmically male sterile female lines developed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad. The seed was treated with the fungicides benomil, metalaxyl and fludioxonil and the insecticides thiamethoxam and imidacloprid and kept for a year in a storage facility. Analysis of variance showed that there were highly significant differences among the genotypes, chemical treatments, and storage periods. Highly significant differences were also recorded for all the interactions among the factors studied. On average, the highest germination energy was found in the hybrid H2 (93.45%, whose values of this parameter were highly significantly higher than those of the rest of the genotypes, except for the hybrid H1. Also, each of the hybrids had highly significantly higher germination energy than either of the two lines, and the differences among the hybrids themselves were highly significant. Looking at the chemical treatments, the control had the highest germination energy by a highly significant margin (80.39%. The largest difference was observed in relation to the treatments with insecticides (5.48 and 9.56%. These treatments had highly significantly lower values of germination energy than those involving fungicides. Germination energy increased in the first nine months of storage, peaking at 81.29%. After that, there was a sharp drop to 68.94% after 12 months of storing. Differences among the different storage periods were all highly significant except for that between six and nine months of storage, which was not statistically significant.

Precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectrum are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the standard $\\Lambda$CDM cosmological model. However, there is some tension between the value of the Hubble parameter $H_0$ inferred from the CMB and that inferred from observations of the Universe at lower redshifts, and the unusually small value of the dark-energy density is a puzzling ingredient of the model. In this paper, we explore a scenario with a new exotic energy density that behaves like a cosmological constant at early times and then decays quickly at some critical redshift $z_c$. An exotic energy density like this is motivated by some string-axiverse-inspired scenarios for dark energy. By increasing the expansion rate at early times, the very precisely determined angular scale of the sound horizon at decoupling can be preserved with a larger Hubble constant. We find, however, that the Planck temperature power spectrum tightly constrains the magnitude of the early dark-e...

Er3+- doped fluorozirconate (ZrF4-BaF2-YF3-AlF3) and oxyfluoroaluminate glasses are successfully prepared here. These glasses exhibit significant superiority compared with traditional fluorozirconate glass (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF) because of their higher temperature of glass transition and better resistance to water corrosion. Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters are evaluated and used to compute the radiative properties based on the VIS-NIR absorption spectra. Broad emission bands located at 1535 and 2708 nm are observed, and large calculated emission sections are obtained. The intensity of 2708 nm emission closely relates to the phonon energy of host glass. A lower phonon energy leads to a more intensive 2708 nm emission. The energy transfer processes of Er3+ ions are discussed and lifetime of Er3+: 4I13/2 is measured. It is the first time to observe that a longer lifetime of the 4I13/2 level leads to a less intensive 1535 nm emission, because the lifetime is long enough to generate excited state absorption (ESA) and energy transfer (ET) processes. These results indicate that the novel glasses possess better chemical and thermal properties as well as excellent optical properties compared with ZBLAN glass. These Er3+- doped ZBYA and oxyfluoroaluminate glasses have potential applications as laser materials.

Full Text Available For greenhouse gas (GHG emissions by Beijing economy 2007, a concrete emission inventory covering carbon dioxide (CO2, methane (CH4, and nitrous oxide (N2O is presented and associated with an input-output analysis to reveal the local GHG embodiment in final demand and trade without regard to imported emissions. The total direct GHG emissions amount to 1.06E + 08 t CO2-eq, of which energy-related CO2 emissions comprise 90.49%, non-energy-related CO2 emissions 6.35%, CH4 emissions 2.33%, and N2O emissions 0.83%, respectively. In terms of energy-related CO2 emissions, the largest source is coal with a percentage of 53.08%, followed by coke with 10.75% and kerosene with 8.44%. Sector 26 (Construction Industry holds the top local emissions embodied in final demand of 1.86E + 07 t CO2-eq due to its considerable capital, followed by energy-intensive Sectors 27 (Transport and Storage and 14 (Smelting and Pressing of Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals. The GHG emissions embodied in Beijing's exports are 4.90E + 07 t CO2-eq, accounting for 46.01% of the total emissions embodied in final demand. The sound scientific database totally based on local emissions is an important basis to make effective environment and energy policies for local decision makers.

Full Text Available We study the behavior of the dual quark condensate Σ1 in the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL model and its nonlocal variant. In quantum chromodynamics Σ1 can be related to the breaking of the center symmetry and is therefore an (approximate order parameter of confinement. The deconfinement transition is then signaled by a strong rise of Σ1 as a function of temperature. However, a similar behavior is also seen in the NJL model, which is known to have no confinement. Indeed, it was shown that in this model the rise of Σ1 is triggered by the chiral phase transition. In order to shed more light on this issue, we calculate Σ1 for several variants of the NJL model, some of which have been suggested to be confining. Switching between “confining” and “non-confining” models and parametrizations we find no qualitative difference in the behavior of Σ1, namely, it always rises in the region of the chiral phase transition. We conclude that without having established a relation to the center symmetry in a given model, Σ1 should not blindly be regarded as an order parameter of confinement.

An analysis of the energy spectra of cosmic rays and particularly the precise data from the AMS-02 experiment support the view about the important role of the Local Bubble in the nearby interstellar medium. It is suggested that the bulk of cosmic rays below about 200 GV of rigidity (momentum/charge ratio) comes from the modest number of supernova remnants in the Local Bubble which appear to have occurred some $10^6$ years ago and contributed to its formation. At higher rigidities the contribution from a 'Local Source', a single supernova remnant generated some $10^5$ years ago seems to dominate up to, at least 1000 GV.

Full Text Available We study the energy decay for the Cauchy problem of the wave equation with nonlinear time-dependent and space-dependent damping. The damping is localized in a bounded domain and near infinity, and the principal part of the wave equation has a variable-coefficient. We apply the multiplier method for variable-coefficient equations, and obtain an energy decay that depends on the property of the coefficient of the damping term.

This report gives a popular descriptive orientation of existing laws regarding the establishment of small-scale energy technology, like wind power plants, heat pumps, solar heating and others, and also of more efficient power generation. In the first part of the report 11 different localenergy systems are described, together with their environmental impact. The second part gives a review of more than 20 laws. The central content of the laws are described, not the complete text

We investigate the scale-locality of subgrid-scale (SGS) energy flux and interband energy transfers defined by the sharp spectral filter. We show by rigorous bounds, physical arguments, and numerical simulations that the spectral SGS flux is dominated by local triadic interactions in an extended turbulent inertial range. Interband energy transfers are also shown to be dominated by local triads if the spectral bands have constant width on a logarithmic scale. We disprove in particular an alternative picture of 'local transfer by nonlocal triads,' with the advecting wavenumber mode at the energy peak. Although such triads have the largest transfer rates of all individual wavenumber triads, we show rigorously that, due to their restricted number, they make an asymptotically negligible contribution to energy flux and log-banded energy transfers at high wavenumbers in the inertial range. We show that it is only the aggregate effect of a geometrically increasing number of local wavenumber triads which can sustain an energy cascade to small scales. Furthermore, nonlocal triads are argued to contribute even less to the space-average energy flux than is implied by our rigorous bounds, because of additional cancellations from scale-decorrelation effects. We can thus recover the -4/3 scaling of nonlocal contributions to spectral energy flux predicted by Kraichnan's abridged Lagrangian-history direct-interaction approximation and test-field model closures. We support our results with numerical data from a 512{sup 3} pseudospectral simulation of isotropic turbulence with phase-shift dealiasing. We also discuss a rigorous counterexample of Eyink [Physica D 78, 222 (1994)], which showed that nonlocal wavenumber triads may dominate in the sharp spectral flux (but not in the SGS energy flux for graded filters). We show that this mathematical counter example fails to satisfy reasonable physical requirements for a turbulent velocity field, which are employed in our

This article presents the results of the study of the pressure applied on optical diagnostic probes as a significant factor affecting the results of measurements. During stepwise increasing and decreasing of local pressure on skin we conducted measurements using the methods of laser Doppler flowmetry and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found out that pressure on optical probe has sufficient impact on skin microcirculation to affect registered fluorescence intensity. Data obtained in this study are of interest for design and development of diagnostic technologies for wearable devices. This data will also inform further investigation into issues of compensation of blood absorption influence on fluorescence spectrum, allowing increased accuracy and reproducibility of measurements by fluorescence spectroscopy methods in optical diagnosis.

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In the Brazilian semi-arid region, the natural vegetation ("Caatinga" has been replaced by irrigated agriculture, emphasising the importance for quantification of the energy and mass exchanges. Eddy covariance and micro-climatic measurements in this natural ecosystem, were analysed for two years under different thermohydrological conditions. Sensible heat flux (H accounted for 49 and 64% of the net radiation (Rn, respectively, during the wetter and the drier conditions of 2004 and 2005. The corresponding fractions of Rn partitioned as latent heat flux (LE were 40% and 25%. Evapotranspiration (ET in 2004, with 693 mm, represented 96% of precipitation (P, while in 2005 (399 mm, it was 18% higher than P, which evidenced the use of the remaining soil moisture from the previous wetter year. All the soil-water-vegetation-atmosphere transfer parameters were influenced by the rainfall amounts. However, the surface resistance (rs was the most strongly affected by the soil moisture status, dropping with increases of the ratio of ET to reference evapotranspiration (ET0. On the other hand, the highest rs values were related to increases in both vapour pressure deficit (De and aerodynamic temperature (T0. The current research aimed to quantify the energy and mass exchange between the "Caatinga" and the lower atmosphere, testing in which circumstances the biophysical controlling parameters can be reasonably predicted from agrometeorological data, throughout parameterizations, to incorporate in large-scale models.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary energy levels on the physiological parameters and reproductive performance of gestating first parity sows. A total of 52 F1 gilts (Yorkshire×Landrace) were allocated to 4 dietary treatments using a completely randomized design. Each treatment contained diets with 3,100, 3,200, 3,300, or 3,400 kcal of metabolizable energy (ME)/kg, and the daily energy intake of the gestating gilts in each treatment were 6,200, 6,400, 6,600, and 6,800 kcal of ME, respectively. During gestation, the body weight (p = 0.04) and weight gain (p = 0.01) of gilts linearly increased with increasing dietary energy levels. Backfat thickness was not affected at d110 of gestation by dietary treatments, but increased linearly (p = 0.05) from breeding to d 110 of gestation. There were no significant differences on the litter size or litter birth weight. During lactation, the voluntary feed intake of sows tended to decrease when the dietary energy levels increased (p = 0.08). No difference was observed in backfat thickness of the sows within treatments; increasing energy levels linearly decreased the body weight of sows (penergy diets influenced the bodyweight and backfat thickness of sows during gestation and lactation. NRC (2012) suggested that the energy requirement of the gestation gilt should be between 6,678 and 7,932 kcal of ME/d. Similarly, our results suggested that 3,100 kcal of ME/kg is not enough to maintain the reproductive performance for gilts during gestation with 2 kg feed daily. Gilts in the treatment 3,400 kcal of ME/kg have a higher weaning number of piglets, but bodyweight and backfat loss were higher than other treatments during lactation. But bodyweight and backfat loss were higher than other treatments during lactation. Consequently, an adequate energy requirement of gestating gilts is 6,400 kcal of ME/d.

By establishing the perturbation formulas of the spin Hamiltonian parameters (anisotropic g factors and hyperfine structure constants) for a rhombically compressed 4d{sup 7} cluster, the EPR spectra and local structure are theoretically investigated for Rh{sup 2+}:ZnWO{sub 4}. Due to the Jahn–Teller effect, the impurity center shows slight axial compression of about 0.002 nm along the Z-axis and the perpendicular angular variation of about 6° for the planar impurity–ligand bonds. These lattice deformations transform the significant elongation (by about 0.031 nm) of host Zn{sup 2+} site into slight compression in the impurity center. The local distortion of the Jahn–Teller nature is discussed.

We investigate theoretically the dependence of energy transfer rate in Double-Quantum-Well system on the well thickness by using the balance equation formalism. Also, by including the local field correction in our calculations through the zero- and finite-temperature Hubbard approximations, we study the effect of the short-range interactions on the energy transfer phenomenon. Calculations consider both the static and dynamic screening approximations. Our numerical results predict that the energy transfer rate increases considerably by increasing the layers' thicknesses and by taking into account the short-range interactions, as well.

We try to reconcile the tension between the local 2.4 % determination of Hubble constant and its global determination by Planck CMB data and BAO data through modeling the dark energy variously. We find that the chi-square is significantly reduced by Δ χ ^2_ {all}=-6.76 in the redshift-binned dark energy model where the 68 % limits of the equation of state of dark energy read w(0≤ z≤ 0.1)=-1.958_{-0.508}^{+0.509}, w(0.11.5) is fixed to -1.

Theoretical expressions for performance parameters of different electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have been optimized by solving them using MATLAB scripts as well as via the MATLAB R2014a optimization toolbox. The performance of the different kinds of ECs under given conditions was compared using theoretical equations and simulations of various models based on the conditions of device components, using optimal values for the coefficient associated with the battery-kind material ( K BMopt) and the constant associated with the electrolyte material ( K Eopt), as well as our symmetric electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) experimental data. Estimation of performance parameters was possible based on values for the mass ratio of electrodes, operating potential range ratio, and specific capacitance of electrolyte. The performance of asymmetric ECs with suitable electrode mass and operating potential range ratios using aqueous or organic electrolyte at appropriate operating potential range and specific capacitance was 2.2 and 5.56 times greater, respectively, than for the symmetric EDLC and asymmetric EC using the same aqueous electrolyte, respectively. This enhancement was accompanied by reduced cell mass and volume. Also, the storable and deliverable energies of the asymmetric EC with suitable electrode mass and operating potential range ratios using the proper organic electrolyte were 12.9 times greater than those of the symmetric EDLC using aqueous electrolyte, again with reduced cell mass and volume. The storable energy, energy density, and power density of the asymmetric EDLC with suitable electrode mass and operating potential range ratios using the proper organic electrolyte were 5.56 times higher than for a similar symmetric EDLC using aqueous electrolyte, with cell mass and volume reduced by a factor of 1.77. Also, the asymmetric EDLC with the same type of electrode and suitable electrode mass ratio, working potential range ratio, and proper organic electrolyte

Full Text Available The paper presents observations of atmospheric and ionospheric parameters during strong meteorological disturbances (storms in the Kaliningrad region. The analysis of ionospheric observations has shown that during meteorological storms the amplitude of diurnal variations in TEC decreases to 50 %; and in foF2, to 15 % as compared to quiet days. The revealed changes in ionospheric conditions during meteorological storms are regularly registered and represent a characteristic feature of the meteorological effect on the ionosphere. Modeling studies of the vertical propagation of AGW from the Earth’s surface showed that such waves quickly (within ~15 min reach altitudes of the upper atmosphere (~300 km. The refraction and dissipation of waves in the upper atmosphere produces perturbations of the background state of the atmosphere and gives rise to the waveguide propagation of infrasonic wave components. The observed manifestations of TEC disturbances caused by AGW propagating from the lower atmosphere can be explained by the diurnal variation of the altitude of the ionosphere and the waveguide propagation of infrasonic waves.

Renewable energy sources (RES) have a large potential to contribute to the sustainable development (SD) of specific territories by providing them with a wide variety of socioeconomic and environmental benefits. However, the existing literature has put much emphasis on the environmental benefits (including the reduction of global and local pollutants), while socioeconomic impacts have not received a comparable attention. These include diversification of energy supply, enhanced regional and rural development opportunities, creation of a domestic industry and employment opportunities. With the exception of the diversification and security of energy supply, these benefits have usually been mentioned, but their analysis has been too general (i.e., mostly at the national level) and a focus on the regional and, even more so, the local level, has been lacking. At most, studies provide scattered evidence of some of those regional and local benefits, but without an integrated conceptual framework to analyse them. This paper tries to make a contribution in this regard by developing an integrated theoretical framework which allows a comprehensive analysis of the impact of renewable energy on local sustainability and which can be empirically applied to identify these benefits in different territories. (author)

Examined the sources of evaluative coverage concerning nuclear power and renewable alternatives contained in local UK daily press coverage. 10 categories of source were defined for their relevance to the nuclear debate and energy issues. Out of these, only pronuclear industries and national

textabstractThe main objective of this article is to assess the priorities of local governments (LGs) in Europe regarding climate change mitigation technologies evaluation in the electricity sector and to provide important insights for energy policy design. The study applies a hybrid weighting metho

Examined the sources of evaluative coverage concerning nuclear power and renewable alternatives contained in local UK daily press coverage. 10 categories of source were defined for their relevance to the nuclear debate and energy issues. Out of these, only pronuclear industries and national governme

The publication reports a sustainable energy assessment at the local project site of the HighARCS project in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province, China. The assessment has been made as a contribution to the elaboration of biodiversity conservation and livelihoods improvement action plans. It proposes...

Traditional shock absorbers provide favourable ride comfort and road handling by dissipating the suspension vibration energy into heat waste. In order to harvest this dissipated energy and improve the vehicle fuel efficiency, many energy-harvesting shock absorbers (EHSAs) have been proposed in recent years. Among them, two types of EHSAs have attracted much attention. One is a traditional EHSA which converts the oscillatory vibration into bidirectional rotation using rack-pinion, ball-screw or other mechanisms. The other EHSA is equipped with a mechanical motion rectifier (MMR) that transforms the bidirectional vibration into unidirectional rotation. Hereinafter, they are referred to as NonMMR-EHSA and MMR-EHSA, respectively. This paper compares their performances with the corresponding traditional shock absorber by using closed-form analysis and numerical simulations on various types of vehicles, including passenger cars, buses and trucks. Results suggest that MMR-EHSA provides better ride performances than NonMMR-EHSA, and that MMR-EHSA is able to improve both the ride comfort and road handling simultaneously over the traditional shock absorber when installed on light-damped, heavy-duty vehicles. Additionally, the optimal parameters of MMR-EHSA are obtained for ride comfort. The optimal solutions ('Pareto-optimal solutions') are also obtained by considering the trade-off between ride comfort and road handling.

Although best described as a meta theory addressing the endurance of capitalism, regulation theory can successfully be used to explore not only the economic dimensions, but also the political, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of particular developmental strategies. Thus, it offers a framework for embedding abstract debates about social attitudes to new technologies within debates about real regulation - the economic, social and cultural relationships operating through particular places. This paper uses regulation theory and qualitative, interview-based data to analyse Scotland's drive for onshore wind energy. This approach teases out how responses to wind farms are bound up with wider debates about how rural spaces are, and should be, regulated; the tensions within and between national political objectives, local political objectives and local communities' dissatisfaction; and the connections between local actors and more formal dimensions of renewable energy policy. (Author)

It is usually mentioned that renewable energy sources (RES) have a large potential to contribute to the sustainable development of specific territories by providing them with a wide variety of socioeconomic benefits, including diversification of energy supply, enhanced regional and rural development opportunities, creation of a domestic industry and employment opportunities. The analysis of these benefits has usually been too general (i.e., mostly at the national level) and a focus on the regional and especially the local level has been lacking. This paper empirically analyses those benefits, by applying a conceptual and methodological framework previously developed by the authors to three renewable energy technologies in three different places in Spain. With the help of case studies, the paper shows that the contribution of RES to the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development might be significant. Particularly important is employment creation in these areas. Although, in absolute terms, the number of jobs created may not be high, it may be so with respect to the existing jobs in the areas considered. Socioeconomic benefits depend on several factors, and not only on the type of renewable energy, as has usually been mentioned. The specific socioeconomic features of the territories, including the productive structure of the area, the relationships between the stakeholders and the involvement of the local actors in the renewable energy project may play a relevant role in this regard. Furthermore, other local (socioeconomic) sustainability aspects beyond employment creation should be considered. (author)

We extend the localized operator partitioning method (LOPM) [J. Nagesh, A.F. Izmaylov, and P. Brumer, J. Chem. Phys. 142, 084114 (2015)] to the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) framework to partition molecular electronic energies of excited states in a rigorous manner. A molecular fragment is defined as a collection of atoms using Stratman-Scuseria-Frisch atomic partitioning. A numerically efficient scheme for evaluating the fragment excitation energy is derived employing a resolution of the identity to preserve standard one- and two-electron integrals in the final expressions. The utility of this partitioning approach is demonstrated by examining several excited states of two bichromophoric compounds: 9-((1-naphthyl)-methyl)-anthracene and 4-((2-naphthyl)-methyl)-benzaldehyde. The LOPM is found to provide nontrivial insights into the nature of electronic energylocalization that are not accessible using simple density difference analysis.

Full Text Available Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental contaminants because of their use in plastics and other common consumer products. Di-(2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP is the most abundant phthalate and it impairs fertility by acting as an endocrine disruptor. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of in vitro acute exposure to DEHP on oocyte maturation, energy and oxidative status in the horse, a large animal model. Cumulus cell (CC apoptosis and oxidative status were also investigated. Cumulus-oocyte complexes from the ovaries of slaughtered mares were cultured in vitro in presence of 0.12, 12 and 1200 µM DEHP. After in vitro maturation (IVM, CCs were removed and evaluated for apoptosis (cytological assessment and TUNEL and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS levels. Oocytes were evaluated for nuclear chromatin configuration. Matured (Metaphase II stage; MII oocytes were further evaluated for cytoplasmic energy and oxidative parameters. DEHP significantly inhibited oocyte maturation when added at low doses (0.12 µM; P<0.05. This effect was related to increased CC apoptosis (P<0.001 and reduced ROS levels (P<0.0001. At higher doses (12 and 1200 µM, DEHP induced apoptosis (P<0.0001 and ROS increase (P<0.0001 in CCs without affecting oocyte maturation. In DEHP-exposed MII oocytes, mitochondrial distribution patterns, apparent energy status (MitoTracker fluorescence intensity, intracellular ROS localization and levels, mt/ROS colocalization and total SOD activity did not vary, whereas increased ATP content (P<0.05, possibly of glycolytic origin, was found. Co-treatment with N-Acetyl-Cysteine reversed apoptosis and efficiently scavenged excessive ROS in DEHP-treated CCs without enhancing oocyte maturation. In conclusion, acute in vitro exposure to DEHP inhibits equine oocyte maturation without altering ooplasmic energy and oxidative stress parameters in matured oocytes which retain the potential to be fertilized and develop into

Full Text Available This study evaluates the local damage of a turbine in an auxiliary building of a nuclear power plant due to an external impact by using the LS-DYNA finite element program. The wall of the auxiliary building is SC structure and the material of the SC wall plate is high manganese steel, which has superior ductility and energy absorbance compared to the ordinary steel used for other SC wall plates. The effects of the material of the wall, collision speed, and angle on the magnitude of the local damage were evaluated by local collision analysis. The analysis revealed that the SC wall made of manganese steel had significantly less damage than the SC wall made of ordinary steel. In conclusion, an SC wall made of manganese steel can have higher effective resistance than an SC wall made of ordinary steel against the local collision of an airplane engine or against a turbine impact.

In low earth orbit (LEO) satellite applications spacecraft power is provided by photovoltaic cells and batteries. To overcome battery shortcomings the University of Maryland, working in cooperation with NASA/GSFC and NASA/LeRC, has developed a magnetically suspended flywheel for energy storage applications. The system is referred to as an Open Core Composite Flywheel (OCCF) energy storage system. Successful application of flywheel energy storage requires integration of several technologies, viz. bearings, rotor design, motor/generator, power conditioning, and system control. In this paper we present a parameter design method which has been developed for analyzing the linear SISO model of the magnetic bearing controller for the OCCF. The objective of this continued research is to principally analyze the magnetic bearing system for nonlinear effects in order to increase the region of stability, as determined by high speed and large air gap control. This is achieved by four tasks: (1) physical modeling, design, prototyping, and testing of an improved magnetically suspended flywheel energy storage system, (2) identification of problems that limit performance and their corresponding solutions, (3) development of a design methodology for magnetic bearings, and (4) design of an optimal controller for future high speed applications. Both nonlinear SISO and MIMO models of the magnetic system were built to study limit cycle oscillations and power amplifier saturation phenomenon observed in experiments. The nonlinear models include the inductance of EM coils, the power amplifier saturation, and the physical limitation of the flywheel movement as discussed earlier. The control program EASY5 is used to study the nonlinear SISO and MIMO models. Our results have shown that the characteristics and frequency responses of the magnetic bearing system obtained from modeling are comparable to those obtained experimentally. Although magnetic saturation is shown in the bearings, there

Saving energy through energy efficiency improvements can cost less than generating, transmitting, and distributing energy from power plants, and provides multiple economic and environmental benefits. Local governments can promote energy efficiency in their jurisdictions by developing and implementing strategies that improve the efficiency of…

Powder mixing is being modeled using a simulation based on Newtonian mechanics.Variables under consideration include particle friction and the amplitude,frequency,and direction of shaking.Trajectories for each particle were recorded,and a mixing degree was calculated for each simulation,for which the average energy transferred into the powder system was recorded and compared to the resulting mixing degree.Mixing of particles originally located near the bottom was studied separately,as was the mixing of particles near the surface.This study shows that choosing the proper mixing parameters not only enhances the final result of mixing,but also yields good results with less strain on the material mixed and on the mixing device.

The present work is based on the idea of an interacting framework of new holographic dark energy (HDE) with cold dark matter in the background of f(T) gravity. Here, we have considered the flat modified Friedmann universe for f(T) gravity which is filled with new HDE and dark matter. We have derived some cosmological parameters like deceleration parameter, equation of state (EoS) parameter, state-finder parameters, cosmographic parameters, Om parameter and graphically investigated the nature of these parameters for the above mentioned interacting scenario. The results are found to be consistent with the accelerating universe. Also, we have graphically investigated the trajectories in ω-ω‧ plane for different values of the interacting parameter and explored the freezing region and thawing region in ω-ω‧ plane. Finally, we have analyzed the stability of this model.

The dependence of some LIBS detection capabilities on lower pulse energies (<100 mJ) and timing parameters were examined using synthetic silicate samples. These samples were used as simulants for soil and contained minor and trace elements commonly found in soil at a wide range of concentrations. For this study, over 100 calibration curves were prepared using different pulse energies and timing parameters; detection limits and sensitivities were determined from the calibration curves. Plasma temperatures were also measured using Boltzmann plots for the various energies and the timing parameters tested. The electron density of the plasma was calculated using the full-width half maximum (FWHM) of the hydrogen line at 656.5 nm over the energies tested. Overall, the results indicate that the use of lower pulse energies and non-gated detection do not seriously compromise the analytical results. These results are very relevant to the design of field- and person-portable LIBS instruments.

At each step of the process, correlations between specific energy consumptions, operational parameters and machines management have been analyzed to examine the existence or not of relations between the consumptions and these parameters. The correlation degree between the studied values have been determined by the regressions mathematical model. (O.M.)

The free energy landscape is the most important information in the study of the reaction mechanisms of the molecules. However, it is difficult to calculate. In a large collective variable space, a molecule must take a long time to obtain the sufficient sampling during the simulation. To save the calculation quantity, decreasing the sampling region and constructing the local free energy landscape is required in practice. However, the restricted region in the collective variable space may have an irregular shape. Simply restricting one or more collective variables of the molecule cannot satisfy the requirement. In this paper, we propose a modified tomographic method to perform the simulation. First, it divides the restricted region by some hyperplanes and connects the centers of hyperplanes together by a curve. Second, it forces the molecule to sample on the curve and the hyperplanes in the simulation and calculates the free energy data on them. Finally, all the free energy data are combined together to form the local free energy landscape. Without consideration of the area outside the restricted region, this free energy calculation can be more efficient. By this method, one can further optimize the path quickly in the collective variable space.

biodiesel producer; 5) technical assistance in the form of feasibility studies for AgNorth Biopower LLC's proposed multi-feedstock biodigester; 6) technology and infrastructure purchases for the construction of a "Cow Power" biodigester at Gervais Family Farm; and 7) the education and outreach activities of the Vermont Biofuels Association. DOE FY05 funded research, technical assistance, and education and outreach activities have helped to provide Vermont farmers and entrepreneurs with important feedstock production, feedstock logistics, and biomass conversion information that did not exist prior as we work to develop an instate biodiesel sector. The efficacy of producing oilseed crops in New England is now established: Oilseed crops can grow well in Vermont, and good yields are achievable given improved harvesting equipment and techniques. DOE FY05 funds used for technology and infrastructure development have expanded Vermont's pool of renewable electricity and liquid fuel generation. It is now clear that on-farm energy production provides an opportunity for Vermont farmers and entrepreneurs to reduce on-farm expenditures of feed and fuel while providing for their energy security. Meanwhile they are developing new value-added revenue sources (e.g., locally produced livestock meal), retaining more dollars in the local economy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Indoor localization based on wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is an important field of research with numerous applications, such as elderly care, miner security, and smart buildings. In this paper, we present a localization method based on the received signal strength difference (RSSD) to determine a target on a map with unknown transmission information. To increase the accuracy of localization, we propose a confidence value for each anchor node to indicate its credibility for participating in the estimation. An automatic calibration device is designed to help acquire the values. The acceleration sensor and unscented Kalman filter (UKF) are also introduced to reduce the influence of measuring noise in the application. Energy control is another key point in WSN systems and may prolong the lifetime of the system. Thus, a quadtree structure is constructed to describe the region correlation between neighboring areas, and the unnecessary anchor nodes can be detected and set to sleep to save energy. The localization system is implemented on real-time Texas Instruments CC2430 and CC2431 embedded platforms, and the experimental results indicate that these mechanisms achieve a high accuracy and low energy cost.

Full Text Available Indoor localization based on wireless sensor networks (WSNs is an important field of research with numerous applications, such as elderly care, miner security, and smart buildings. In this paper, we present a localization method based on the received signal strength difference (RSSD to determine a target on a map with unknown transmission information. To increase the accuracy of localization, we propose a confidence value for each anchor node to indicate its credibility for participating in the estimation. An automatic calibration device is designed to help acquire the values. The acceleration sensor and unscented Kalman filter (UKF are also introduced to reduce the influence of measuring noise in the application. Energy control is another key point in WSN systems and may prolong the lifetime of the system. Thus, a quadtree structure is constructed to describe the region correlation between neighboring areas, and the unnecessary anchor nodes can be detected and set to sleep to save energy. The localization system is implemented on real-time Texas Instruments CC2430 and CC2431 embedded platforms, and the experimental results indicate that these mechanisms achieve a high accuracy and low energy cost.

The stress tensor is a basic local operator in any field theory; in the context of AdS/CFT, it is the operator which is dual to the bulk geometry itself. Here we exploit this feature by using the bulk geometry to place constraints on the localenergy density in static states of holographic $(2+1)$-dimensional CFTs living on a closed (but otherwise generally curved) spatial geometry. We allow for the presence of a marginal scalar deformation, dual to a massless scalar field in the bulk. For certain vacuum states in which the bulk geometry is well-behaved at zero temperature, we find that the bulk equations of motion imply that the localenergy density integrated over specific boundary domains is negative. In the absence of scalar deformations, we use the inverse mean curvature flow to show that if the CFT spatial geometry has spherical topology but non-constant curvature, the localenergy density must be positive somewhere. This result extends to other topologies, but only for certain types of vacuum; in parti...

The stress tensor is a basic local operator in any field theory; in the context of AdS/CFT, it is the operator which is dual to the bulk geometry itself. Here we exploit this feature by using the bulk geometry to place constraints on the localenergy density in static states of holographic (2+1)-dimensional CFTs living on a closed (but otherwise generally curved) spatial geometry. We allow for the presence of a marginal scalar deformation, dual to a massless scalar field in the bulk. For certain vacuum states in which the bulk geometry is well-behaved at zero temperature, we find that the bulk equations of motion imply that the localenergy density integrated over specific boundary domains is negative. In the absence of scalar deformations, we use the inverse mean curvature flow to show that if the CFT spatial geometry has spherical topology but non-constant curvature, the localenergy density must be positive somewhere. This result extends to other topologies, but only for certain types of vacuum; in particular, for a generic toroidal boundary, the vacuum’s bulk dual must be the zero-temperature limit of a toroidal black hole.

In this work we analyze the simultaneous emergence of diffusive energy transport and local thermalization in a nonequilibrium one-dimensional quantum system, as a result of integrability breaking. Specifically, we discuss the local properties of the steady state induced by thermal boundary driving in a XXZ spin chain with staggered magnetic field. By means of efficient large-scale matrix product simulations of the equation of motion of the system, we calculate its steady state in the long-time limit. We start by discussing the energy transport supported by the system, finding it to be ballistic in the integrable limit and diffusive when the staggered field is finite. Subsequently, we examine the reduced density operators of neighboring sites and find that for large systems they are well approximated by local thermal states of the underlying Hamiltonian in the nonintegrable regime, even for weak staggered fields. In the integrable limit, on the other hand, this behavior is lost, and the identification of local temperatures is no longer possible. Our results agree with the intuitive connection between energy diffusion and thermalization.

Full Text Available The modification of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF polymer properties with irradiation is of interest as it possesses unique piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectric properties. In this paper, we report the results of acoustic parameters of irradiated PVDF mixed with dimethylacetamide (DMAC solution with low energy γ-source (Cs-137. The polymer solution covered with mica film assures only γ-ray passage and the duration was increased from 18 to 50 hours to achieve the higher dose rate. The dose rate was estimated using the strength of the radioactive source and the duration of the exposure. The ultrasonic velocity (v, density (ρ, and viscosity (η of 0.2 wt% and 0.5 wt% PVDF dissolved in pure DMAC solution, irradiated with different dose rate were measured using ultrasonic interferometer (Mittal make, Pyknometer, and Oswald’s viscometer, respectively. It is observed that the values of v, ρ, and η change with dose rate. The acoustic parameters such as adiabatic compressibility (β, intermolecular free path length (Lf, acoustic impedance (Z, relative association (RA, ultrasonic attenuation (α/f2, and relaxation time (τ are calculated using the experimental data. These results are interpreted in terms of the solute-solvent interaction in a polymer solution and scissoring chain damage.

Proponents of the sustainable development of Third World States frequently urge the integration of local non-government organizations (NGOs) into State-sponsored, centrally administered programs of rural-resource development. This study draws on literatures on energy use, biomass technologies, and organization theory, and on interviews, archival research, and organizational surveys of eight Gujarati NGOs conducted in India in 1986 and 1987. It concludes that the conventional wisdom guiding State-NGO collaboration is in important ways flawed. Though driven by political and fiscal imperatives to integrate local NGOs in State programs, national planners are ill-equipped to cope with the uncertainty and vulnerability such collaboration brings. Their understandable response is to structure collaboration in ways inimical to overarching goals of local participation and flexible administration. Simultaneously, at the local level, unmanaged systems of collaboration - organized around a view of local organizations as self-guiding and self-correcting - generates a degradation of capacity. Organizational assumptions driving the sustainable development of India's (and much of the Third World's) rural energy resources must be re-evaluated.

The automotive industry has been pressed to satisfy more rigorous fuel efficiency requirements to promote energy conservation, safety features and cost containment. To satisfy this need, high strength steel has been developed and used for many different vehicle parts. The use of high strength steels, however, requires careful analysis and creativity in order to accommodate its relatively high springback behavior. An innovative method, called local warm forming with near infrared ray, has been developed to help promote the use of high strength steels in sheet metal forming. For this method, local regions of the work piece are heated using infrared ray energy, thereby promoting the reduction of springback behavior. In this research, a V-bend test is conducted with DP980. After springback, the bend angles for specimens without local heating are compared to those with local heating. Numerical analysis has been performed using the commercial program, DEFORM-2D. This analysis is carried out with the purpose of understanding how changes to the local stress distribution will affect the springback during the unloading process. The results between experimental and computational approaches are evaluated to assure the accuracy of the simulation. Subsequent numerical simulation studies are performed to explore best practices with respect to thermal boundary conditions, timing, and applicability to the production environment.

al. (2015) which is based on machine learning algorithms depending on satellite imagery and expert knowledge. The data on urban land use and morphology are used for initialisation of the town energy balance scheme TEB, but are also useful for other urban canopy models or studies related to urban planning or modelling of the urban system. The sensitivity of canyon air and surface temperatures, air specific humidity and horizontal wind simulated by the town energy balance scheme TEB (Masson, 2000) regarding the dominant parameters within the range determined for the present urban structure of Vienna and the expected changes (MA 18 (2011, 2014a+b), PGO (2011), Amtmann M and Altmann-Mavaddat N (2014)) was calculated for different land cover zones. While the buildings heights have a standard deviation of 3.2m which is 15% of the maximum average building height of one block the built and unsealed surface fraction vary stronger with around 30% standard deviation. The pre 1919 structure of Vienna is rather uniform and easier to describe, the later building structure is more diverse regarding morphological as well as physical building parameters. Therefore largest uncertainties are possible at the urban rims where also the highest development is expected. The analysis will be focused on these areas. Amtmann M and Altmann-Mavaddat N (2014) Eine Typology österreichischer Wohngebäude, Österreichische Energieargentur - Austrian Energy Agency, TABULA/EPISCOPE Bechtel B, Alexander P, Böhner J, et al (2015) Mapping Local Climate Zones for a Worldwide Database of the Form and Function of Cities. ISPRS Int J Geo-Inf 4:199-219. doi: 10.3390/ijgi4010199 Berger T, Formayer H, Smutny R, Neururer C, Passawa R (2012) Auswirkungen des Klimawandelsauf den thermischen Komfort in Bürogebäuden, Berichte aus Energie- und Umweltforschung Cordeau E / Les îlots morphologiques urbains (IMU) / IAU îdF / 2016 Magistratsabteilung 18 - Stadtentwicklung und Stadtplanung, Wien - MA 18 (2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the daily energy expenditure; resting metabolic rate (RMR); health-related physical fitness parameters such as maximal aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and flexibility; pulmonary function tests (PFTs); and body composition and body fat distribution changes in patients with cholelithiasis, and to compare them with healthy controls. Thirty female patients with cholelithiasis and 30 controls were included in this study. Daily physical activity was monitored using a metabolic Holter and the maximal aerobic capacity was estimated using the Astrand submaximal exercise protocol. The body composition was established with a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. RMR, PFTs, strength, flexibility, circumference, and skinfold measurements were also carried out. Maximal aerobic capacity, trunk flexibility, daily moderate activity duration, daily vigorous activity duration, total energy expenditure, RMR, PFT, lean body mass, adiposity, and body fat distribution values were not significantly different between the patients and the controls. The cholelithiasis patients had lower daily step numbers, handgrip strength, and back-leg strength values, whereas their higher daily sleep duration values were comparable with those of the controls. Our results suggest that daily physical activity and muscle strength were impaired in female cholelithiasis patients when compared with the healthy controls. We suggest that using daily exercises, including not only aerobic but also strength training as lifestyle modifications in cholelithiasis patients, might be helpful for the development of more beneficial illness management strategies.

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters [i.e. g factors g{sub i} (i=x, y, z) and hyperfine structure constants A{sub i}] and the local lattice structure for the Cu{sup 2+} centre in Tl{sub 2}Zn(SO{sub 4}){sub 2}.6H{sub 2}O (TZSH) crystal were theoretically investigated by utilising the perturbation formulae of these parameters for a 3d{sup 9} ion under rhombically elongated octahedra. In the calculations, the admixture of d orbitals in the ground state and the ligand orbital and spin-orbit coupling interactions are taken into account based on the cluster approach. The theoretical EPR parameters show good agreement with the observed values, and the Cu{sup 2+}-H{sub 2}O bond lengths are obtained as follows: R{sub x}∼1.98 Aa, R{sub y}∼2.09 Aa, R{sub z}∼2.32 Aa. The results are discussed.

Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in existing dwellings thanks to longer lifecycles, slow replacement rates, and technical innovations. Many such dwellings are located in dense urban neighbourhoods, where urban renewal projects are undertaken. Local government can encourage the setting of ambitious goals as a stepping stone to realizing energy efficiency goals that achieve high levels of energy efficiency. The research question which this paper addresses is: to what degree do local governments influence ambitions to conserve energy in existing housing sites? To examine this issue, thirty-three sites in the Netherlands were studied using a quantitative analysis. The results show that collaboration between local authorities and local actors increases the level of ambition to conserve energy. However, local authorities intentionally selected sites with poor energy efficiency, so it would be easy to meet ambitious energy conservation targets. Collaboration between local authorities and local actors turns out to be the key factor in selecting those sites. Moreover, there is little sign of genuine ambition. This article contributes to the debate on energy conservation policies in local housing sites. The study provides starting points for systematic, empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in existing housing, especially in large-scale refurbishment projects. - Research Highlights: {yields} Local governments encourage the setting of goals to realize energy efficiency goals. {yields} Local authorities intentionally select sites with poor initial energy efficiency performance. {yields} Collaboration with local actors turns out to be a key factor in selecting those sites. {yields}There is little sign of genuine ambition. {yields} Starting points for empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in housing.

From the beginning of the subject, calculations of quantum vacuum energies or Casimir energies have been plagued with two types of divergences: The total energy, which may be thought of as some sort of regularization of the zero-point energy, $\\sum\\frac12\\hbar\\omega$, seems manifestly divergent. And localenergy densities, obtained from the vacuum expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor, $\\langle T_{00}\\rangle$, typically diverge near boundaries. The energy of interaction between distinct rigid bodies of whatever type is finite, corresponding to observable forces and torques between the bodies, which can be unambiguously calculated. The self-energy of a body is less well-defined, and suffers divergences which may or may not be removable. Some examples where a unique total self-stress may be evaluated include the perfectly conducting spherical shell first considered by Boyer, a perfectly conducting cylindrical shell, and dilute dielectric balls and cylinders. In these cases the finite part is unique, y...

We review several techniques and ideas initiated by a remarkable work by Spencer [26], used and further developed in numerous subsequent researches. We also describe a relatively short and elementary derivation of the spectral and strong dynamical Anderson localization from the fixed-energy analysis of the Green functions, obtained either by the Multi-Scale Analysis (MSA) or by the Fractional-Moment Method (FMM). This derivation goes in the same direction as the Simon--Wolf criterion [28], but provides quantitative estimates, applies also to multi-particle models and, combined with a simplified variant of the Germinet--Klein argument [20], results in an elementary proof of dynamical localization.

In local sustainable energy companies it is all about renewable energy initiatives I which the local authorities play an important steering role. In this publication a number of experts from the renewable energy sector have their say. [Dutch] Bij lokale duurzame energiebedrijven gaat het om duurzame energie-initiatieven waarbij de decentrale overheid een belangrijke regisserende rol speelt. In deze publikatie wordt een aantal experts uit de duurzame energiesector aan het woord gelaten.

The localized operator partitioning method [Y. Khan and P. Brumer, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 194112 (2012)] rigorously defines the electronic energy on any subsystem within a molecule and gives a precise meaning to the subsystem ground and excited electronic energies, which is crucial for investigating electronic energy transfer from first principles. However, an efficient implementation of this approach has been hindered by complicated one- and two-electron integrals arising in its formulation. Using a resolution of the identity in the definition of partitioning we reformulate the method in a computationally e?cient manner that involves standard one- and two-electron integrals. We apply the developed algorithm to the 9-((1-naphthyl)-methyl)-anthracene (A1N) molecule by partitioning A1N into anthracenyl and CH2-naphthyl groups as subsystems, and examine their electronic energies and populations for several excited states using Configuration Interaction Singles method. The implemented approach shows a wide variety o...

The numerical solutions of the non-relativistic Yukawa model on a 3-dimensional size lattice with periodic boundary conditions are obtained. The possibility to extract the corresponding -- infinite space -- low energyparameters and bound state binding energies from eigensates computed at finite lattice size is discussed.

It is evaluated the wind power, solar energy resources and biofuels available in Aracatuba through integrated resources planning methodology. which seeks to systematize and qualify the impacts associated with the use of energy by integrating supply and demand and seeking the lowest full-cost recital characteristics of each energy resource in environmental, social, political and technical-economic dimensions . Working with the demand forecast for trend, sustainable energy scenarios, optimistic and sustainable-prime as a PIN for the integration of energy resources over time, and considering the vigilant of Energy-environmental parameters, fetching mapping meeting local demand and export of energy. Thus conclude that the energy resources considered may meet the requirements of demand in all scenarios, but with the possibility of exhaustion in certain scenarios with planning horizon larger than 30 years. (author)

This report aims to describe the market potential for biogas and biomass heat and power applications, and to assess the opportunities and barriers for development of such biomass markets locally and internationally. The project has been commissioned by ENERCOAST whose overall aim is to create a market for bio energy in the North Sea area. The project uses Denmark, Central Denmark Region, and three Danish municipalities (Randers, Norddjurs, and Syddjurs) to illustrate the challenges related to developing a more substantial market for bio energy trade. A parallel study also commissioned by ENERCOAST and carried out by Ea Energy Analyses assessed the sustainability of relevant biomass supply chains related to the resource accessibility in the three municipalities. The primary focus was on biogas, straw, wood residues, and energy crops for combined heat and power production and the results were presented in a report released in July of 2010 entitled 'SSCM Analysis of the Bioenergy Resources in Randers, Norddjurs and Syddjurs' (Ea Energy Analyses, 2010). The data basis for both studies is very similar, and as such the current report incorporates and builds upon many of the SSCM reports findings. The present report describes the market structures and price developments of the aforementioned biomass resources. The market structures and trade conditions are described on a local (the 3 municipalities), national (Denmark) and regional/international (European/global) level. (LN)

Greater energy efficiency can be achieved in existing dwellings thanks to longer lifecycles, slow replacement rates, and technical innovations. Many such dwellings are located in dense urban neighbourhoods, where urban renewal projects are undertaken. Local government can encourage the setting of ambitious goals as a stepping stone to realizing energy efficiency goals that achieve high levels of energy efficiency. The research question which this paper addresses is: to what degree do local governments influence ambitions to conserve energy in existing housing sites? To examine this issue, thirty-three sites in the Netherlands were studied using a quantitative analysis. The results show that collaboration between local authorities and local actors increases the level of ambition to conserve energy. However, local authorities intentionally selected sites with poor energy efficiency, so it would be easy to meet ambitious energy conservation targets. Collaboration between local authorities and local actors turns out to be the key factor in selecting those sites. Moreover, there is little sign of genuine ambition. This article contributes to the debate on energy conservation policies in local housing sites. The study provides starting points for systematic, empirical research into the realisation of energy conservation in existing housing, especially in large-scale refurbishment projects. (author)

For atomic and molecular quantum Monte Carlo calculations, most of the computational effort is spent in the evaluation of the localenergy. We describe a scheme for reducing the computational cost of the evaluation of the Slater determinants and correlation function for the correlated molecular orbital (CMO) ansatz. A sparse representation of the Slater determinants makes possible efficient evaluation of molecular orbitals. A modification to the scaled distance function facilitates a linear scaling implementation of the Schmidt-Moskowitz-Boys-Handy (SMBH) correlation function that preserves the efficient matrix multiplication structure of the SMBH function. For the evaluation of the localenergy, these two methods lead to asymptotic linear scaling with respect to the molecule size.

We argue that the physics of interacting Kelvin Waves (KWs) is highly non-trivial and cannot be understood on the basis of pure dimensional reasoning only. A consistent theory of KWs turbulence in superfluids should be based on explicit knowledge of the details of their interactions. To achieve this, we present a detailed calculation and comprehensive analysis of the interaction coefficients for KWs, thereby fixing previous mistakes stemming from unaccounted contributions. As a first application of this analysis, we show that the previously suggested Kozik-Svistunov energy spectrum of KWs, which has been often used for analysis of experimental and numerical data in superfluid turbulence, is irrelevant, because it is based on an erroneous assumption of the locality of the energy transfer through scales. We also demonstrate weak non-locality of the inverse cascade spectrum with a constant particle-number flux and find resulting logarithmic corrections to this spectrum.

In this paper, we establish the longitudinal and transverse localenergy balance equation of distributional solutions of the incompressible three-dimensional MHD equations. In particular, we find that the functions D_L^ɛ (u,B) and D_T^ɛ (u,B) appeared in the energy balance, all converging to the defect distribution (in the sense of distributions) D(u,B) which has been defined in Gao et al. (Acta Math Sci 33:865-871, 2013). Furthermore, we give a simpler form of defect distribution term, which is similar to the relation in turbulence theory, called the "4 / 3-law." As a corollary, we give the analogous "4 / 5-law" holds in the local sense.

Numerous pre-existing and newly emerging state- and locally-managed revolving loan funds (RLFs) are being used in conjunction with energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) as an option for financing of energy efficiency projects. This document presents an overview of ESPCs and how they fit within the RLF framework. There are a variety of options available to state and local governments to catalyze the disbursement of available capital from RLFs and increase the number of ESPC projects within their jurisdictions. To demonstrate the implementation of this type of financing program in action, this report concludes with four program case studies of state-sponsored RLFs where ESPCs are an allowed use of funds.

Tropical rainforest regions have large hydropower generation potential that figures prominently in many nations' energy growth strategies. Feasibility studies of hydropower plants typically ignore the effect of future deforestation or assume that deforestation will have a positive effect on river discharge and energy generation resulting from declines in evapotranspiration (ET) associated with forest conversion. Forest loss can also reduce river discharge, however, by inhibiting rainfall. We used land use, hydrological, and climate models to examine the local "direct" effects (through changes in ET within the watershed) and the potential regional "indirect" effects (through changes in rainfall) of deforestation on river discharge and energy generation potential for the Belo Monte energy complex, one of the world's largest hydropower plants that is currently under construction on the Xingu River in the eastern Amazon. In the absence of indirect effects of deforestation, simulated deforestation of 20% and 40% within the Xingu River basin increased discharge by 4-8% and 10-12%, with similar increases in energy generation. When indirect effects were considered, deforestation of the Amazon region inhibited rainfall within the Xingu Basin, counterbalancing declines in ET and decreasing discharge by 6-36%. Under business-as-usual projections of forest loss for 2050 (40%), simulated power generation declined to only 25% of maximum plant output and 60% of the industry's own projections. Like other energy sources, hydropower plants present large social and environmental costs. Their reliability as energy sources, however, must take into account their dependence on forests.

This project has prepared a study of the framework for energy management in local authorities in Poland and the Czech Republic with the objective of better: identifying the current situation, identifying the opportunities for action both now and in an extended European Union, identifying the constraints that may hinder full integration of East European municipalities in European Union programmes and improve the integration of municipalities in the countries concerned in pan-European networks of municipalities interested in energy issues. The report provides then recommendations to the Commission and to the European Union. First it is vital that more emphasis is put on energy monitoring as an essential first stage in raising finance to improve energy performance. Secondly the existing energy laws seem to generally provide the potential basis for effective energy planning (they simply need to have sufficient support to ensure that they are implemented with reasonable speed). There are problems however in coordinating the actions of competing networks, aggravated by the fact that the coordinators themselves are usually proprietors of one of the networks and so have an interest. It is therefore important that sufficient weight is given to the demand side and consideration could helpfully be given by government as to how this could best be achieved. Thirdly there is need to promote renewable energy with more vigor. Fourthly, the Agenda 21 process will only take off very slowly in the absence of a lead from government. This is confirmed by action in the European Union. (A.L.B.)

Biophysical effects of land use and land cover change (LULCC) on climate have received less attention than biogeochemical effects. Yet, their impact is potentially more perceptible because the effect is almost immediate at local scales. Biophysical effects depend on the specific LULCC transition, and can change in sign and magnitude across space and time. Spatially explicit assessments are therefore required to describe these phenomena. Whilst accurately characterising these local biophysical effects using Land Surface Models (LSMs) can be problematic given the strong modelling assumptions that must be made, satellite remote sensing instruments operationally measure several of the key energy fluxes at high temporal and spatial resolution across the entire planet. We leverage this synoptic property of remote sensing to develop a methodology capable of isolating the biophysical signal of potential vegetation transitions at local scale. Because mapping LULCC accurately at global scale is notoriously challenging, and because many potential transitions may not yet have occurred in various places, the approach relies on trading space for time over a moving window as a surrogate for monitoring real change. The result is a global dataset with a spatial resolution of 1° indicating the potential change in all terms of the surface energy balance (excepting the soil heat flux) for all transitions amongst 7 different plant functional types that are widely used by the land surface modelling community. This dataset will serve three main purposes: (1) to derive a data-driven diagnostic of the local biophysical effects of LULCC on the surface energy budget and local climate; (2) to provide a benchmark to assess model performances; and (3) to develop guidelines for the monitoring, reporting and verification of climate mitigation and adaptation plans that account for land biophysical impacts on climate.

This document identifies and provides access to source documentation for the Site- Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico. Specifically, it lists agreements between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), DOE/NNSA/Sandia Site Office (SSO), Sandia Corporation, and local and state government agencies, Department of Defense, Kirtland Air Force Base, and other federal agencies.

Examined the sources of evaluative coverage concerning nuclear power and renewable alternatives contained in local UK daily press coverage. 10 categories of source were defined for their relevance to the nuclear debate and energy issues. Out of these, only pronuclear industries and national government produced more positive than negative appraisals of nuclear power. However, detractors of nuclear power were more varied, the most prolific category being the general public. Alternative technolo...

Macromolecular bioproducts like therapeutic proteins have usually been crystallized with µL-scale vapor diffusion experiments for structure determination by X-ray diffraction. Little systematic know-how exists for technical-scale protein crystallization in stirred vessels. In this study, the Fab-fragment of the therapeutic antibody Canakinumab was successfully crystallized in a stirred-tank reactor on a 6 mL-scale. A four times faster onset of crystallization of the Fab-fragment was observed compared to the non-agitated 10 µL-scale. Further studies on a liter-scale with lysozyme confirmed this effect. A 10 times faster onset of crystallization was observed in this case at an optimum stirrer speed. Commonly suggested scale-up criteria (i.e., minimum stirrer speed to keep the protein crystals in suspension or constant impeller tip speed) were shown not to be successful. Therefore, the criterion of constant maximum localenergy dissipation was applied for scale-up of the stirred crystallization process for the first time. The maximum localenergy dissipation was estimated by measuring the drop size distribution of an oil/surfactant/water emulsion in stirred-tank reactors on a 6 mL-, 100 mL-, and 1 L-scale. A comparable crystallization behavior was achieved in all stirred-tank reactors when the maximum localenergy dissipation was kept constant for scale-up. A maximum localenergy dissipation of 2.2 W kg(-1) was identified to be the optimum for lysozyme crystallization at all scales under study.

Full Text Available The present status of the quasi-local mass, energy-momentum and angular-momentum constructions in general relativity is reviewed. First, the general ideas, concepts, and strategies, as well as the necessary tools to construct and analyze the quasi-local quantities, are recalled. Then, the various specific constructions and their properties (both successes and deficiencies are discussed. Finally, some of the (actual and potential applications of the quasi-local concepts and specific constructions are briefly mentioned.This review is based on talks given at the Erwin Schrödinger Institute, Vienna in July 1997, at the Universität Tübingen in May 1998, and at the National Center for Theoretical Sciences in Hsinchu, Taiwan and at the National Central University, Chungli, Taiwan, in July 2000.

Microgrid voltage collapse often happens when there is a high percentage of low inertia air-conditioning (AC) motors in the power systems. The stalling of the AC motors results in Fault Induced Delayed Voltage Recovery (FIDVR). A hybrid load model including typical building loads, AC motor loads, and other induction motor loads is built to simulate the motoring stalling phenomena. Furthermore, distributed energy resources (DE) with local voltage support capability are utilized to boost the local bus voltage during a fault, and prevent the motor stalling. The simulation results are presented. The analysis of the simulation results show that local voltage support from multiple DEs can effectively and economically solve the microgrid voltage collapse problem.

The recent non-empirical semi-local exchange functional of Armiento and K\\"ummel, the AK13 [PRL 111, 036402 (2013)] incorporates a number of features reproduced by higher-order theory. The AK13 potential behaves analogously with the discontinuous jump associated with the derivative discontinuity at integer particle numbers. Recent works have established that AK13 gives a qualitatively improved orbital description compared to other semi-local methods, and reproduces a band structure closer to higher-order theory. However, its energies and energetics are inaccurate. The present work further investigates the deficiency in energetics. In addition to AK13 results, we find that applying the local-density approximation (LDA) non-self-consistently on the converged AK13 density gives very reasonable energetics with equilibrium lattice constants and bulk moduli well described across 14 systems. We also confirm that the attractive orbital features of AK13 are retained even after full structural relaxation. Hence, the de...

Full Text Available The main objective of this article is to assess the priorities of local governments (LGs in Europe regarding climate change mitigation technologies evaluation in the electricity sector and to provide important insights for energy policy design. The study applies a hybrid weighting methodology to elicit LGs’ preferences in a constructive and iterative way regarding the evaluation criteria of low-carbon energy technologies. Furthermore, the study employs three data collection and preference elicitation methods, namely: survey, workshop, and webinar. The study was conducted across thirty one (31 European LGs that were categorized according to three variables: population size, geographical region and gross domestic product (GDP per capita. The analysis shows that “CO2 emissions” is the most important criterion among European LGs, followed by “mortality and morbidity” and “ecosystem damages”. The results illustrate the potential synergies of climate and energy policies for addressing both CO2 emissions and air pollution. It was also found, based on a correlation analysis, that LGs with higher GDP per capita tend to provide higher weights to criteria related to security of energy supply and technological innovation. The current study provides insights on the actual LGs’ priorities that are important to consider during low-carbon energy technologies evaluation and energy policy design. Interestingly, the results of the European LGs’ preferences clearly show that the EU climate policy objectives have reached different levels of governance—and at this particular case, the local level. Furthermore, the developed methodology could be applied at different geographical regions to map other regions’ LG priorities, but also at a group decision making context to elicit relevant stakeholders’ preferences regarding low-carbon energy technologies and policy objectives.

Renewable energy production is expanding rapidly despite mostly unknown environmental effects on wildlife and habitats. We used genetic and stable isotope data collected from Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) killed at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) in California in demographic models to test hypotheses about the geographic extent and demographic consequences of fatalities caused by renewable energy facilities. Geospatial analyses of δ(2) H values obtained from feathers showed that ≥25% of these APWRA-killed eagles were recent immigrants to the population, most from long distances away (>100 km). Data from nuclear genes indicated this subset of immigrant eagles was genetically similar to birds identified as locals from the δ(2) H data. Demographic models implied that in the face of this mortality, the apparent stability of the local Golden Eagle population was maintained by continental-scale immigration. These analyses demonstrate that ecosystem management decisions concerning the effects of local-scale renewable energy can have continental-scale consequences.

Through the excitation of plasmon resonance, the energy of plasmonic nanoparticles either reradiates through light scattering or decays into energetic electrons (absorption). The plasmon-induced absorption can greatly enhance the efficiency of solar energy harvesting, local heating, photodetection and photocatalysis. Here, we demonstrate that heavily self-doped titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO1.67 analogue arising from oxygen vacancies in rutile TiO2) with the plasmon resonance dominated by an interband transition shows strong absorption to build a broadband perfect absorber in the wavelength range from 300 to 2000 nm covering the solar irradiation spectrum completely. The absorptivity of the fabricated array is greater than 90% in the whole spectral range. And the broadband and strong absorption is due to the plasmon hybridization and hot spot generation from near-touching TiO1.67 nanoparticles with different sizes. What is more, the local heating of a TiO1.67 nanoparticle layer is fast and effective. The temperature increases quickly from 30 °C to 80 °C within 200 seconds. This local heating can realize rapid solar-enabled evaporation which can find applications in large-scale distillation and seawater desalination. These findings actually open a pathway for applications of these newly developed plasmonic materials in the energy and environment fields.

Renewable energy production is expanding rapidly despite mostly unknown environmental effects on wildlife and habitats. We used genetic and stable isotope data collected from Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) killed at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) in California in demographic models to test hypotheses about the geographic extent and demographic consequences of fatalities caused by renewable energy facilities. Geospatial analyses of δ2H values obtained from feathers showed that ≥25% of these APWRA-killed eagles were recent immigrants to the population, most from long distances away (>100 km). Data from nuclear genes indicated this subset of immigrant eagles was genetically similar to birds identified as locals from the δ2H data. Demographic models implied that in the face of this mortality, the apparent stability of the local Golden Eagle population was maintained by continental-scale immigration. These analyses demonstrate that ecosystem management decisions concerning the effects of local-scale renewable energy can have continental-scale consequences.

Full Text Available The study was conducted to evaluate the activity parameters of local and systemic inflammation in women suffering from bronchial asthma (BA. 119 women with asthma were studied, and 48 with a regular menstrual cycle and 71 in menopause; 38,7% of BA was mild, 61,3% – moderate severity. All patients were examined in the remission phase of the disease. On the background of normal values of conventional indicators of inflammation it was showed a significant increase of IL 1 alpha and IL 8 more in the group of women with regular menstrual cycles and normal body weight, IL1 alpha amounted to 489±80 pg/ml and IL8 – 631±122 pg/ml (p<0.05, which emphasizes the role of hormonal status of patients, and also the necessity of using the basic anti-inflammatory therapy during remission of BA.

Noisy acoustic signal localization is a difficult problem having a wide range of application. We propose a new localization method applicable for thin plates which is based on energy amplitude attenuation and inversed source amplitude comparison. This inversion is tested on synthetic data using a direct model of Lamb wave propagation and on experimental dataset (recorded with 4 Brüel & Kjær Type 4374 miniature piezoelectric shock accelerometers, 1 - 26 kHz frequency range). We compare the performance of this technique with classical source localization algorithms, arrival time localization, time reversal localization, localization based on energy amplitude. The experimental setup consist of a glass / plexiglass plate having dimensions of 80 cm x 40 cm x 1 cm equipped with four accelerometers and an acquisition card. Signals are generated using a steel, glass or polyamide ball (having different sizes) quasi perpendicular hit (from a height of 2-3 cm) on the plate. Signals are captured by sensors placed on the plate on different locations. We measure and compare the accuracy of these techniques as function of sampling rate, dynamic range, array geometry, signal to noise ratio and computational time. We show that this new technique, which is very versatile, works better than conventional techniques over a range of sampling rates 8 kHz - 1 MHz. It is possible to have a decent resolution (3cm mean error) using a very cheap equipment set. The numerical simulations allow us to track the contributions of different error sources in different methods. The effect of the reflections is also included in our simulation by using the imaginary sources outside the plate boundaries. This proposed method can easily be extended for applications in three dimensional environments, to monitor industrial activities (e.g boreholes drilling/production activities) or natural brittle systems (e.g earthquakes, volcanoes, avalanches).

Energy balance (EB) and energy intake (EI) are heritable traits of economic importance. Despite this, neither trait is explicitly included in national dairy cow breeding goals due to a lack of routinely available data from which to compute reliable breeding values. Mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometry, which is performed during routine milk recording, is an accurate predictor of both EB and EI. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of EB and EI predicted using MIR spectrometry. Measured EI and EB were available for 1,102 Irish Holstein-Friesian cows based on actual feed intake and energy sink data. A subset of these data (1,270 test-day records) was used to develop equations to predict EI, EB, and daily change in body condition score (ΔBCS) and body weight (ΔBW) using the MIR spectrum with or without milk yield also as a predictor variable. Accuracy of cross-validation of the prediction equations was 0.75, 0.73, 0.77, and 0.70 for EI, EB, ΔBCS, and ΔBW, respectively. Prediction equations were applied to additional spectral data, yielding up to 94,653 records of MIR-predicted EI, EB, ΔBCS, and ΔBW available for variance component estimation. Variance components were estimated using repeatability animal linear mixed models. Heritabilities of MIR-predicted EI, EB, ΔBCS, and ΔBW were 0.20, 0.10, 0.07, and 0.06, respectively; heritability estimates of the respective measured traits were 0.35, 0.16, 0.07, and 0.08, respectively. The genetic correlation between measured and MIR-predicted EI was 0.84 and between measured and MIR-predicted EB was 0.54, indicating that selection based on MIR-predicted EI or EB would improve true EI or EB. Genetic and phenotypic associations between EI and both the milk production and body-change traits were generally in agreement, regardless of whether measured EI or MIR-predicted EI was considered. Higher-yielding animals of higher body weight had greater EI. Predicted EB was negatively genetically correlated

Energy use in developing countries is projected to equal and exceed the demand in developed countries in the next five years. Growing concern about environmental problems, depletion and price fluctuation of fossil fuels pushes the efforts for meeting energy demand in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. Hence, it is essential to design energy systems consisting of centralized and localized options that generate the optimum energy mix to meet this increasing energy demand in a sustainable manner. In this study, we try to answer the question, "How can the energy demand in Rampura village be met sustainably?" via two centralized clean coal (CCC) technology and three localizedenergy technology options analyzed. We perform the analysis of these energy technologies through joint use of donor-side analysis technique emergy analysis (EA) and user-side analysis technique life cycle assessment (LCA). Sustainability of such an energy combination depends on its reliance on renewable inputs rather than nonrenewable or purchased inputs. CCC technologies are unsustainable energy systems dependent on purchased external inputs almost 100%. However, increased efficiency and significantly lower environmental impacts of CCC technologies can lead to more environmentally benign utilization of coal as an energy source. CCC technologies supply electricity at a lower price compared to the localizedenergy options investigated. Localizedenergy options analyzed include multi-crystalline solar PV, floating drum biogas digester and downdraft biomass gasifier. Solar PV has the lowest water and land use, however, solar electricity has the highest price with a high global warming potential (GWP). Contrary to general opinion, solar electricity is highly non-renewable. Although solar energy is a 100% renewable natural resource, materials utilized in the production of solar panels are mostly non-renewable purchased inputs causing the low renewability of solar electricity. Best

Temperature dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) peak energy of bulk and quantum well (QW) structures is studied by using a new phenomenological model for including the effect of localized states. In general an anomalous S-shaped temperature dependence of the PL peak energy is observed for many materials which is usually associated with the localization of excitons in band-tail states that are formed due to potential fluctuations. Under such conditions, the conventional models of Varshni, Viña and Passler fail to replicate the S-shaped temperature dependence of the PL peak energy and provide inconsistent and unrealistic values of the fitting parameters. The proposed formalism persuasively reproduces the S-shaped temperature dependence of the PL peak energy and provides an accurate determination of the exciton localizationenergy in bulk and QW structures along with the appropriate values of material parameters. An example of a strained InAs0.38P0.62/InP QW is presented by performing detailed temperature and excitation intensity dependent PL measurements and subsequent in-depth analysis using the proposed model. Versatility of the new formalism is tested on a few other semiconductor materials, e.g. GaN, nanotextured GaN, AlGaN and InGaN, which are known to have a significant contribution from the localized states. A quantitative evaluation of the fractional contribution of the localized states is essential for understanding the temperature dependence of the PL peak energy of bulk and QW well structures having a large contribution of the band-tail states.

Full Text Available Drying is one of the oldest methods to preserve agricultural products and hence expanding the food market. By drying, the agricultural products can be stored and transferred to the market throughout the year. One of the most important and nutritious vegetables is turnip which can be used by drying in out of season. In this research, the hot air and vacuum drying methods of turnip were compared. The effect of independent factors including temperature and vacuum, on dependent factors such as the shrinkage, rehydration and rate of electric energy consumption on final products of turnip were investigated. A randomized completely design for hot air dryer and a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design for drying under vacuum condition were used. Results showed that the temperature and vacuum have affected the shrinkage, rehydration and electricity consumption. Shrinkage parameter is more depend on the final humidity of product and the energy consumption of the devices depends on time. The best quality of dried turnip was achieved from hot air drying device with final humidity of 14±1%, shrinkage of 39.98%, rehydration of 4.45 and consumed electricity of 32.36 kWh kg-1 of DM in 60˚C. For the vacuum drying device the best quality of produce achieved with shrinkage of 38.12%, rehydration of 4.87 and consumed electricity of 30.58 kWh kg-1 of DM in vacuum condition of 10 kPa in 60˚C. Comparison of results showed that the vacuum dryer is more appropriate than the hot air dryers for drying turnip with better quality and lower power consumption.

Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipennis is a recognized malaria vector in the slopes of the Andes of Bolivia. There, other species might be involved in malaria transmission and one candidate could be Anopheles argyritarsis. Although it is generally admitted that this species is not a malaria vector in the neotropical region, its potential role in transmission is still controversial and this situation has to be cleared, at least for Bolivia. Comparing the vectorial efficiency of An. pseudopunctipennis with that of An. argyritarsis could solve the question. The two species were sampled throughout Bolivia to estimate their degree of co-existence in their distribution range. Vectorial efficiencies of the two species were compared in two ecologically different localities where the species were sympatric by analysing their vectorial capacities and components (i e, human biting rates, human biting index, survival, durations of the gonotrophic cycle and extrinsic cycle), and the entomological inoculation rates (EIR). Mosquitoes were sampled monthly during more than one year in the two localities. A monthly sample consisted in hourly captures in four houses (inside and outside) in each locality, during four consecutive nights. Climatic variables (temperature, humidity, potential evapo-transpiration and precipitations) were recorded to better understand variability in the entomological parameters. Relationships were analysed using multivariate methods. Anopheles pseudopunctipennis and An. argyritarsis are "altitude" species, sharing the same geographical distribution range in the Andes of Bolivia. No Plasmodium parasite was identified in An. argyritarsis and estimates of the vectorial capacity indicated that it is not a malaria vector in the two studied localities, unlike An. pseudopunctipennis which showed positive EIRs. This latter species, although not a very good malaria vector, exhibited better life traits values and better behavioural characteristics in favour of

The center of mass (COM) in functional MRI studies is defined as the center of a cerebral activation cluster. Although the COM is a well-accepted parameter for exactly localizing brain function, the reliability of COMs has not received much attention until now. Our goal was to investigate COM reliability as a function of the thresholding technique, the threshold level, and the type of COM calculation. Therefore 15 subjects were examined repeatedly using simple hand and tongue movement paradigms. Postprocessing was performed with uncorrected, corrected, and proportional thresholding as well as different threshold levels. Geometric and T-weighted COMs of left-hemispheric primary hand and tongue motor clusters were calculated. The COM variation was evaluated within and between repeated sessions depending on the different postprocessing setups. Mean COM variations over three repeated sessions varied between 1.6 mm and 9.8 mm for the hand paradigm and between 7.0 mm and 14.4 mm for the tongue task. Stringent thresholding techniques and high threshold levels were required to assess reliable results, whereas the kind of COM calculation was of lesser relevance. Thus, COM reliability cannot be presupposed; it depends strongly on the individual postprocessing techniques. This should be considered when using COMs for localizing brain function.

Full Text Available From the interference fit bolt installation to tensile loading stage in single-lap joint with a hi-lock bolt, the stress and strain fields were studied experimentally and numerically. A three-dimensional finite element model was generated to simulate the experimental setup, which was validated using the experimental data. The fatigue behavior of the bolted joint is influenced by the local stress fields on the faying surface near the holes in single-lap joints. Therefore, with the aim to improve design awareness, the effects of the parameters on the local stress fields were investigated by means of finite element simulation. With an increase in the interference fit size, the occurred position of the maximum stress values on the upper plate faying surface moves away from the hole edge gradually. As the clamping force or friction coefficient increases, the position of larger stress area is changed to the side of bearing load from the transverse direction. The lap geometry of the bolted joint as well as the amplitude of tensile load has apparent impact on the maximum stress value.

In a recent work [Baudin and Kristensen, J. Chem. Phys. 144, 224106 (2016)], we introduced a local framework for calculating excitation energies (LoFEx), based on second-order approximated coupled cluster (CC2) linear-response theory. LoFEx is a black-box method in which a reduced excitation orbital space (XOS) is optimized to provide coupled cluster (CC) excitation energies at a reduced computational cost. In this article, we present an extension of the LoFEx algorithm to the calculation of CC2 oscillator strengths. Two different strategies are suggested, in which the size of the XOS is determined based on the excitation energy or the oscillator strength of the targeted transitions. The two strategies are applied to a set of medium-sized organic molecules in order to assess both the accuracy and the computational cost of the methods. The results show that CC2 excitation energies and oscillator strengths can be calculated at a reduced computational cost, provided that the targeted transitions are local compar...

Modal strain energy based methods for damage detection have received much attention. However, most of published articles use numerical methods and some studies conduct modal tests with simple 1D or 2D structures to verify the damage detection algorithms. Only a few studies utilize modal testing data from 3D frame structures. Few studies conduct performance comparisons between two different modal strain energy based methods. The objective of this paper is to investigate and compare the effectiveness of a traditional modal strain energy method (Stubbs index) and a recently developed modal strain energy decomposition (MSED) method for damage localization, for such a purpose both simulated and measured data from an offshore platform model being used. Particularly, the mode shapes used in the damage localization are identified and synthesized from only two measurements of one damage scenario because of the limited number of sensors. The two methods were first briefly reviewed. Next, using a 3D offshore platform model, the damage detection algorithms were implemented with different levels of damage severities for both single damage and multiple damage cases. Finally, a physical model of an offshore steel platform was constructed for modal testing and for validat-ing the applicability. Results indicate that the MSED method outperforms the Stubbs index method for structural damage detection.

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to create the methodology of energy strategies at the local, municipality level and to provide insight into the effectiveness of innovative policies and unique policy design components that can be adopted by other governments, at the local or state, levels. The Regional Policy of the EU, also referred to as Cohesion Policy, is a policy with the stated aim of improving the economic well-being of regions in the EU and avoiding regional disparities. The strategy Europe 2020 stresses the so-called 20/20/20 targets. The paper was prepared using the material, collected and analysed by implementing the Baltic Sea Region 2007–2013 programme project ‘Public Energy Alternatives – Sustainable energy strategies as a chance for regional development’ (PEA. The novelty of this methodology is in its holistic approach – municipality, community, business and researchers’ cooperation is used. In this article, the main stages of a municipal strategy development are analysed and recommendations for regional energy strategy preparation are given.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.71.3.12610

Full Text Available The governance of sustainable energy transitions (SET is facing multiple technological, economic, societal and political uncertainties. In practice, these energy-related uncertainties play a role not only at the level of “major politics,” but also in the policymaking of local decision makers and planners. This paper seeks to attain a more differentiated understanding of how uncertainties concerning the energy transition play out and are dealt with in policymaking and planning “on the ground.” To do so, the paper combines conceptual reflections with an explorative empirical study on local heat supply policy in Switzerland. In conceptual regards, it proposes some distinctions of types of uncertainties related to energy transitions, and a typology of strategic decision options for dealing with uncertainty. On this basis, the paper reveals similarities and differences regarding the perception of uncertainties and ways of dealing with them in a number of Swiss cities. These insights evoke further questions about the causes and effects of different sensitivities to uncertainty and ways of dealing with them.

The accuracy of multipole approximations for distant pair energies in local second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (LMP2) as introduced by Hetzer et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 290, 143 (1998)] is investigated for three chemical reactions involving molecules with up to 92 atoms. Various iterative and non-iterative approaches are compared, using different energy thresholds for distant pair selection. It is demonstrated that the simple non-iterative dipole-dipole approximation, which has been used in several recent pair natural orbitals (PNO)-LMP2 and PNO-LCCSD (local coupled-cluster with singles and doubles) methods, may underestimate the distant pair energies by up to 50% and can lead to significant errors in relative energies, unless very tight thresholds are used. The accuracy can be much improved by including higher multipole orders and by optimizing the distant pair amplitudes iteratively along with all other amplitudes. A new approach is presented in which very small special PNO domains for distant pairs are used in the iterative approach. This reduces the number of distant pair amplitudes by 3 orders of magnitude and keeps the additional computational effort for the iterative optimization of distant pair amplitudes minimal.

In organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), localized traps within the band gap of the organic semiconductor play a fundamental role in the light emission process. Trapped charge carriers cannot recombine efficiently and therefore do not contribute to the emission. The determination of the trap parameters in the emitting layer is especially important in the evaluation of the efficiency of such devices. We have investigated the trap parameters in some organic semiconductors using the Charge-Based Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (Q-DLTS) technique. Examples are given in poly(p phenylene vinylene) or PPV and 4, 4'-bis(4-dimethylaminostryryl) or DMASB, for which the trap level, the trap density, and the capture cross section were determined. In addition, it was possible to identify the carrier type (minority and majority) traps in these semiconductors. The results were compared with those obtained in similar materials by other techniques such as conventional DLTS, thermally stimulated currents (TSC), impedance measurements. Q-DLTS appears to be a powerful tool for studying defects in organic semiconductors.

For a large class of scalar-tensor-like gravity whose action contains nonminimal couplings between a scalar field φ (x^α ) and generic curvature invariants R beyond the Ricci scalar R=R^α _{α }, we prove the covariant invariance of its field equation and confirm/prove the localenergy-momentum conservation. These φ (x^α )- R coupling terms break the symmetry of diffeomorphism invariance under an active transformation, which implies that the solutions to the field equation should satisfy the consistency condition R ≡ 0 when φ (x^α ) is nondynamical and massless. Following this fact and based on the accelerated expansion of the observable Universe, we propose a primary test to check the viability of the modified gravity to be an effective dark energy, and a simplest example passing the test is the "Weyl/conformal dark energy".

For a large class of scalar-tensor-like modified gravity whose action contains nonminimal couplings between a scalar field $\\phi(x^\\alpha)$ and generic curvature invariants $\\mathcal{R}$ beyond the Ricci scalar $R=R^\\alpha_{\\;\\;\\alpha}$, we prove the covariant invariance of its field equation and confirm/prove the localenergy-momentum conservation. These $\\phi(x^\\alpha)-\\mathcal{R}$ coupling terms break the symmetry of diffeomorphism invariance under a particle transformation, which implies that the solutions of the field equation should satisfy the consistency condition $\\mathcal{R}\\equiv 0$ when $\\phi(x^\\alpha)$ is nondynamical and massless. Following this fact and based on the accelerated expansion of the observable Universe, we propose a primary test to check the viability of the modified gravity to be an effective dark energy, and a simplest example passing the test is the "Weyl/conformal dark energy".

An energy decomposition scheme based on the block-localized wave function (BLW) method is proposed. The key of this scheme is the definition and the full optimization of the diabatic state wave function, where the charge transfer among interacting molecules is deactivated. The present energy decomposition (ED), BLW-ED, method is similar to the Morokuma decomposition scheme in definition of the energy terms, but differs in implementation and the computational algorithm. In addition, in the BLW-ED approach, the basis set superposition error is fully taken into account. The application of this scheme to the water dimer and the lithium cation-water clusters reveals that there is minimal charge transfer effect in hydrogen-bonded complexes. At the HF/aug-cc-PVTZ level, the electrostatic, polarization, and charge-transfer effects contribute 65%, 24%, and 11%, respectively, to the total bonding energy (-3.84 kcal/mol) in the water dimer. On the other hand, charge transfer effects are shown to be significant in Lewis acid-base complexes such as H3NSO3 and H3NBH3. In this work, the effect of basis sets used on the energy decomposition analysis is addressed and the results manifest that the present energy decomposition scheme is stable with a modest size of basis functions.

Full Text Available The process of socio-educational territorialisation in rural contexts is the topic of this text. The theme corresponds to a challenge to address it having as main axis of discussion either the problem of social exclusion or that of local development. The reasons to locate the discussion in this last field of analysis are discussed in the first part of the text. Theoretical and political reasons are there articulated because the question is about projects whose intentions and practices call for the political both in the theoretical debate and in the choices that anticipate intervention. From research conducted for several years, I use contributions that aim at discuss and enlighten how school can be a potential locus of local development. Its identification and recognition as local institution (either because of those that work and live in it or because of those that act in the surrounding context are crucial steps to progressively constitute school as a partner for development. The promotion of the local values and roots, the reconstruction of socio-personal and local identities, the production of sociabilities and the equation and solution of shared problems were the dimensions of a socio-educative intervention, markedly globalising. This scenario, as it is argued, was also, intentionally, one of transformation and of deliberate change of school and of the administration of the educative territoires.

Full Text Available In this study, effect of environmental condition changes during gazing period on energy metabolism parameters was investigated. Totally 40 Aberdeen Angus cows were selected for observation. Calving all of cows was situated into March. The feeding ration for the animals was comprised by pasture during the grazing period and corn silage, hay and granulated distiller’s grains during the winter period. At average age 9 days before calving, and subsequently 10, 81, 151, 189 and 273 days after calving, blood was sampled and analysed for glucose and NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid concentrations on KONELAB T20xt automatic analyser (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Finland and currently available commercial kits (Biovendor-Laboratorni medicina, Czech Republic. A rapid increase (p < 0.05 of glucose concentration was detected in blood plasma of cows in period before calving to 81 days post partum. Average value of glucose concentration at 273 days postpartum was significant (p < 0.05 lower comparing to day 189. The highest concentrations of NEFA in blood plasma of cows were found at 10 day postpartum. After that, during the persisted higher temperature period the NEFA concentration decreased significantly (p < 0.01 till 189 days postpartum. At the end of monitored period concentration of NEFA in blood plasma significantly decreased (p < 0.05. Changes of hot and cold season during the grazing period probably according to forage quality and had significant effects on blood plasma NEFA and glucose concentrations.

Sheared axial flows are utilized by the ZaP Flow Z-Pinch Experiment to stabilize MHD instabilities. The pinches formed are 50 cm long with radii ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 cm. The plasma is generated in a coaxial acceleration region, similar to a Marshall gun, which provides a steady supply of plasma for approximately 100 us. The power to the plasma is partially decoupled between the acceleration and pinch assembly regions through the use of separate power supplies. Adiabatic scaling of the Bennett relation gives targets for future devices to reach high-energy density conditions or fusion reactors. The applicability of an adiabatic assumption is explored and work is done experimentally to clarify the plasma compression process, which may be more generally polytropic. The device is capable of a much larger parameter space than previous machine iterations, allowing flexibility in the initial conditions of the compression process to preserve stability. This work is supported by DoE FES and NNSA.

Experimental values of the Moyer Model Parameter H/sub 0/ were summarized and presented as a function of proton energy, E/sub p/. The variation of H/sub 0/(E/sup p/) with E/sup p/ was studied by regression analysis. Regression Analysis of the data under log-log transformation gave a best value for the exponent m of 0.77 +- 0.26, but a t-test did not reject m = 1 (p +- 20%). Since m = 1 was not excluded, and a Fisher's F-test did not exclude linearity, a linear regression analysis was performed. A line passing through the origin was not rejected (Student's t-test, p = 30%) and has the equation: H/sub 0/(E/sup p/ = (1.61 +- 0.19) x 10/sup -13/ Sv.m/sup 2//GeV to be compared with a value of (1.65 +- 0.21) x 10/sup -13/ Sv.m/sup 2//GeV published by Stevenson et al. (St 82).

Film energetics are becoming increasingly popular because a variety of technologies are driving a need for localizedenergy generation in a stable, safe and flexible form. Aluminum (Al) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO{sub 3}) composites were mixed into a silicon binder and extruded using a blade casting technique to form flexible free-standing films ideal for localizedenergy generation. Since this material can be extruded onto a surface it is well suited to additive manufacturing applications. This study examines the influence of 0-35% by mass potassium perchlorate (KClO{sub 4}) additive on the combustion behavior of these energetic films. Without KClO{sub 4} the film exhibits thermal instabilities that produce unsteady energy propagation upon reaction. All films were cast at a thickness of 1 mm with constant volume percent solids to ensure consistent rheological properties. The films were ignited and flame propagation was measured. The results show that as the mass percent KClO{sub 4} increased, the flame speed increased and peaked at 0.43 cm/s and 30 wt% KClO{sub 4}. Thermochemical equilibrium simulations show that the heat of combustion increases with increasing KClO{sub 4} concentration up to a maximum at 20 wt% when the heat of combustion plateaus, indicating that the increased chemical energy liberated by the additional KClO{sub 4} promotes stable energy propagation. Differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis show that the silicone binder participates as a fuel and reacts with KClO{sub 4} adding energy to the reaction and promoting propagation.

Full Text Available Film energetics are becoming increasingly popular because a variety of technologies are driving a need for localizedenergy generation in a stable, safe and flexible form. Aluminum (Al and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3 composites were mixed into a silicon binder and extruded using a blade casting technique to form flexible free-standing films ideal for localizedenergy generation. Since this material can be extruded onto a surface it is well suited to additive manufacturing applications. This study examines the influence of 0-35% by mass potassium perchlorate (KClO4 additive on the combustion behavior of these energetic films. Without KClO4 the film exhibits thermal instabilities that produce unsteady energy propagation upon reaction. All films were cast at a thickness of 1 mm with constant volume percent solids to ensure consistent rheological properties. The films were ignited and flame propagation was measured. The results show that as the mass percent KClO4 increased, the flame speed increased and peaked at 0.43 cm/s and 30 wt% KClO4. Thermochemical equilibrium simulations show that the heat of combustion increases with increasing KClO4 concentration up to a maximum at 20 wt% when the heat of combustion plateaus, indicating that the increased chemical energy liberated by the additional KClO4 promotes stable energy propagation. Differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis show that the silicone binder participates as a fuel and reacts with KClO4 adding energy to the reaction and promoting propagation.

Interdependency between water and energy is generally transacted in trade-off mode; where either of the resource gets affected because of the other. Generally this trade-off is commonly known as water-energy nexus. Many studies have been undertaken in various parts of the world using various approaches to tease out the intricate nexus. This research has adopted a different approach to quantify the inter-dependency. The adopted approach made an attempt to tease out the nexus from demand side for both the resources. For water demand assessment PODIUM Sim model was used and for other parameters available secondary data was used. Using this approach percentage share of water for energy and energy for water was estimated. For an informed decision making and sustainable development, assessment was carried out at state level as most of the policies are made specifically for the state. The research was done for the southernmost state of India, Tamil Nadu which is a rapidly growing industrial hub. Tamil Nadu is energy and water intensive state and the analysis shows that the share of water demand from energy sector compared to water demand from other major sectors is miniscule. While, the energy demand in water sector for various processes in different sectors compared to energy demand as total has a comparable share of range 15-25%. This analysis indicated the relative risk sectors face in competition for the resource. It point outs that water sector faces fierce competition with other sectors for energy. Moreover, the results of the study has assessed that state has negative water balance, which may make access to water more energy intensive with time. But, a projection into future scenario with an assumption based on the ongoing policy program of improving irrigation efficiency was made. It provided a solution of a potential positive equilibrium which conserves both water and energy. This scenario gave promising results which indicated less of water demand from

Full Text Available Energy consumption forecasting (ECF is an important policy issue in today’s economies. An accurate ECF has great benefits for electric utilities and both negative and positive errors lead to increased operating costs. The paper proposes a semantic based genetic programming framework to address the ECF problem. In particular, we propose a system that finds (quasi-perfect solutions with high probability and that generates models able to produce near optimal predictions also on unseen data. The framework blends a recently developed version of genetic programming that integrates semantic genetic operators with a local search method. The main idea in combining semantic genetic programming and a local searcher is to couple the exploration ability of the former with the exploitation ability of the latter. Experimental results confirm the suitability of the proposed method in predicting the energy consumption. In particular, the system produces a lower error with respect to the existing state-of-the art techniques used on the same dataset. More importantly, this case study has shown that including a local searcher in the geometric semantic genetic programming system can speed up the search process and can result in fitter models that are able to produce an accurate forecasting also on unseen data.

Energy consumption forecasting (ECF) is an important policy issue in today's economies. An accurate ECF has great benefits for electric utilities and both negative and positive errors lead to increased operating costs. The paper proposes a semantic based genetic programming framework to address the ECF problem. In particular, we propose a system that finds (quasi-)perfect solutions with high probability and that generates models able to produce near optimal predictions also on unseen data. The framework blends a recently developed version of genetic programming that integrates semantic genetic operators with a local search method. The main idea in combining semantic genetic programming and a local searcher is to couple the exploration ability of the former with the exploitation ability of the latter. Experimental results confirm the suitability of the proposed method in predicting the energy consumption. In particular, the system produces a lower error with respect to the existing state-of-the art techniques used on the same dataset. More importantly, this case study has shown that including a local searcher in the geometric semantic genetic programming system can speed up the search process and can result in fitter models that are able to produce an accurate forecasting also on unseen data.

Energy consumption forecasting (ECF) is an important policy issue in today's economies. An accurate ECF has great benefits for electric utilities and both negative and positive errors lead to increased operating costs. The paper proposes a semantic based genetic programming framework to address the ECF problem. In particular, we propose a system that finds (quasi-)perfect solutions with high probability and that generates models able to produce near optimal predictions also on unseen data. The framework blends a recently developed version of genetic programming that integrates semantic genetic operators with a local search method. The main idea in combining semantic genetic programming and a local searcher is to couple the exploration ability of the former with the exploitation ability of the latter. Experimental results confirm the suitability of the proposed method in predicting the energy consumption. In particular, the system produces a lower error with respect to the existing state-of-the art techniques used on the same dataset. More importantly, this case study has shown that including a local searcher in the geometric semantic genetic programming system can speed up the search process and can result in fitter models that are able to produce an accurate forecasting also on unseen data. PMID:26106410

A city planner or a neighborhood activist may wish to initiate a local conservation and passive solar retrofit program but may not have previous experience in doing so. This sourcebook is designed to assist interested individuals with their energy planning efforts, from determining retrofit potential, to financing and implementing the program. An approach or methodology is provided which can be applied to determine retrofit potential in single-family residences, mobile homes, multifamily residences, and nonresidential buildings. Case studies in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are given as examples. Guidelines are provided for evaluating the economic benefits of a retrofit program through benefit-cost analysis and economic base studies at the city and neighborhood levels. Also included are approaches to community outreach, detailing how to get started, how to gain local support, and examples of successful programs throughout the US. The need for financing, the development of a local strategy, public and private financing techniques, and community energy service organizations are examined. In addition to the Albuquerque case studies, a brief technology characterization, heat-loss calculations, economic tools, and a list of resources are appended.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) affects up to 600,000 patients and contributes to at least 100,000 deaths every year in the United States alone. Diagnosis of PE can be difficult as most symptoms are unspecific and early diagnosis is essential for successful treatment. Computed Tomography (CT) images can show morphological anomalies that suggest the existence of PE. Various image-based procedures have been proposed for improving computer-aided diagnosis of PE. We propose a novel method for detecting PE based on localized vessel-based features computed in Dual Energy CT (DECT) images. DECT provides 4D data indexed by the three spatial coordinates and the energy level. The proposed features encode the variation of the Hounsfield Units across the different levels and the CT attenuation related to the amount of iodine contrast in each vessel. A local classification of the vessels is obtained through the classification of these features. Moreover, the localization of the vessel in the lung provides better comparison between patients. Results show that the simple features designed are able to classify pulmonary embolism patients with an AUC (area under the receiver operating curve) of 0.71 on a lobe basis. Prior segmentation of the lung lobes is not necessary because an automatic atlas-based segmentation obtains similar AUC levels (0.65) for the same dataset. The automatic atlas reaches 0.80 AUC in a larger dataset with more control cases.

Hard photon emitted from energetic heavy ion collisions is of very interesting since it does not experience the late-stage nuclear interaction, therefore it is useful to explore the early-stage information of matter phase. In this work, we have calculated the impact parameter and beam energy dependence for azimuthal asymmetry, characterized by directed transverse flow parameter F and elliptic asymmetry coefficient v2, of direct photons and the corresponding free protons in intermediate energy heavy-ion collisions. It is further shown the anti-correlated azimuthal asymmetry between direct photons and free protons.

Tensile deformation and failure of Σ9 tilt grain boundaries (GBs) in Al and Cu have been examined by first-principles tensile tests (FPTTs). Local-energy and local-stress schemes were applied to clarify the variations of localenergies and local hydrostatic stresses for all atoms during the deformation process. The GBs in Al and Cu exhibited quite different tensile behaviours in the FPTTs, despite their similar initial configurations. For the Al GB, there are two stages of deformation before failure. In the first stage, the back bonds of the interfacial bonds are mainly stretched, due to special high strength of the interfacial reconstructed bonds. In the second stage, the interfacial bonds begin to be significantly stretched due to high concentrated stresses, while stretching of the back bonds is suppressed. The atoms at the interfacial, back and bulk bonds have very different variations of localenergies and local stresses during each stage, because the behaviour of each atom is significantly dependent on each local structural change due to the high sensitivity of sp electrons to the local environment in Al. The Cu GB has much higher tensile strength, and a natural introduction of stacking faults (SFs) occurs via the {111} shear slip in the bulk regions between the interfaces before the maximum stress is reached. This is caused by the smaller SF energy and lower ideal shear strength of Cu than Al, and is triggered by highly accumulated localenergies and stress at the interface atoms. The local-energy distribution around the SF is consistent with the previous theoretical estimation. After the introduction of the SF, the localenergies and stresses of all the atoms in the Cu GB supercell tend to become similar to each other during the tensile process, in contrast to the inhomogeneity in the Al GB. The origins of the different tensile behaviours observed for Al and Cu GBs are discussed with respect to the different bonding natures of Al and Cu, which are dominated

A technique for aggregating population centers into groups based on selected climate parameters is presented. Climate information on the 125 largest Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) in the United States is used to assign each SMSA to a particular group. The technique select one SMSA in each region as a `climate center,' whose climate is used to represent the entire region.The 125 SMSAs contain over 140 million population and include every metropolitan area of 250 thousand or more. The climate variables used to group SMSAs of similar climate are heating and cooling degree days, T-a measure of solar radiation, and latent enthalpy hours, a measure of moisture that must be removed from outside air in order to bring it to a standard comfort condition. Climate information is derived from SOLMET and TMY weather data. Characterization of U.S. climates in terms of these variables and relationships between pairs of variables is discussed.An interactive agglomeration computer program, GLOM aggregates the SMSAs into climate regions. The user provides aggregation rules based on specified ranges of the climate variables and a selection of initial climate centers. Considerable latitude is given to the user to manipulate and/or modify the computer-based groupings. The result is a series of SMSA groupings suitable for a wide variety of analyses in which climates with large populations can be evaluated using a minimum of representative centers for direct analysis. Statistical analysis is performed on each group to determine the population-weighted averages and ranges of climate parameters for SMSAs in the group and the relationship of each SMSA to group average climate characteristics and to the climate center of the group.This information is useful in choosing climate centers for research that will have the greatest relevance for the greatest number of people. The technique has been used to determine climate regions and centers for the DOE Passive Cooling Technology

We present the energy spectra of cosmic ay nuclei and electrons in the local interstellar medium (LISM) from the Cosmic Ray Subsystem on Voyager 1 (V1). We use four models of the local interstellar spectra of nuclei and one of electrons that are constrained by the observations to compute the energy density and ionization rate of atomic H in the LISM above 3 MeV for electrons and protons and above 3 MeV/nuc for nuclei with Z > 1. We find that the total cosmic-ray energy density is in the range 0.82-0.97 eV/cm3, which includes a contribution of 0.023 eV/cm3 from electrons. We find the cosmic-ray ionization rate of atomic H to be in the range 1.45-1.58 x 10-17 s-1, which is a factor of more than 10 below the cosmic-ray ionization rate in diffuse interstellar clouds based on astrochemistry methods. We discuss possible reasons for this difference. Voyager data analysis is supported by NASA Grant NNN12AA012. GALPROP development is supported by NASA Grants NNX13AC47G and NNX10AE78G.

The basic model of Lindhard and Scharff, known as the local plasma model, is used to study the effects on stopping power of the chemical and physical state of the medium. Unlike previous work with the local plasma model, in which individual electron shifts in the plasma frequency were estimated empirically, he Pines correction derived for a degenerate Fermi gas is shown herein to provide a reasonable estimate, even on the atomic scale. Thus, the model is moved to a complete theoretical base requiring no empirical adjustments, as characteristic of past applications. The principal remaining error is in the overestimation of the low-energy absorption properties that are characteristic of the plasma model in the region of the atomic discrete spectrum, although higher-energy phenomena are accurately represented, and even excitation-to-ionization ratios are given to fair accuracy. Mean excitation energies for covalent-bonded gases and solids, for ionic gases and crystals, and for metals are calculated using first-order models of the bonded states.

Full Text Available Animal wastes from high-density farming have severe impacts on the nitrogen cycle. According to current regulations, the disposal of manure on cropland is constrained by nitrogen content in the agricultural soils. On the contrary, anaerobic digestion (AD of these wastes can produce energy and a digestate, which is easier to handle than manure and can be applied for agronomic uses. When herbaceous crops are co-digested with manure to increase the efficiency of biogas production, the nitrogen content in the digestate further increases, unless these larger plants are equipped with nitrogen stripping technologies. We propose a model to compare larger (cooperative and smaller (single parcel AD conversion plants. The whole process is modeled: from the collection of manures, to the cultivation of energy crops, to the disposal of the digestate. The model maximizes the energy produced on the basis of available biomass, road network, local heat demand and local availability of land for digestate disposal. Results are the optimal size and location of the plants, their technology and collection basins. The environmental performances of such plants are also evaluated. The study has been applied to the province of Forlì-Cesena, an Italian district where animal farming is particularly relevant.

Quantifying the impact of anthropogenic development on local populations is important for conservation biology and wildlife management. However, these local populations are often subject to demographic stochasticity because of their small population size. Traditional modeling efforts such as population projection matrices do not consider this source of variation whereas individual-based models, which include demographic stochasticity, are computationally intense and lack analytical tractability. One compromise between approaches is branching process models because they accommodate demographic stochasticity and are easily calculated. These models are known within some sub-fields of probability and mathematical ecology but are not often applied in conservation biology and applied ecology. We applied branching process models to quantitatively compare and prioritize species locally vulnerable to the development of wind energy facilities. Specifically, we examined species vulnerability using branching process models for four representative species: A cave bat (a long-lived, low fecundity species), a tree bat (short-lived, moderate fecundity species), a grassland songbird (a short-lived, high fecundity species), and an eagle (a long-lived, slow maturation species). Wind turbine-induced mortality has been observed for all of these species types, raising conservation concerns. We simulated different mortality rates from wind farms while calculating local extinction probabilities. The longer-lived species types (e.g., cave bats and eagles) had much more pronounced transitions from low extinction risk to high extinction risk than short-lived species types (e.g., tree bats and grassland songbirds). High-offspring-producing species types had a much greater variability in baseline risk of extinction than the lower-offspring-producing species types. Long-lived species types may appear stable until a critical level of incidental mortality occurs. After this threshold, the risk of

Through the excitation of plasmon resonance, the energy of plasmonic nanoparticles either reradiates through light scattering or decays into energetic electrons (absorption). The plasmon-induced absorption can greatly enhance the efficiency of solar energy harvesting, local heating, photodetection and photocatalysis. Here, we demonstrate that heavily self-doped titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO1.67 analogue arising from oxygen vacancies in rutile TiO2) with the plasmon resonance dominated by an interband transition shows strong absorption to build a broadband perfect absorber in the wavelength range from 300 to 2000 nm covering the solar irradiation spectrum completely. The absorptivity of the fabricated array is greater than 90% in the whole spectral range. And the broadband and strong absorption is due to the plasmon hybridization and hot spot generation from near-touching TiO1.67 nanoparticles with different sizes. What is more, the local heating of a TiO1.67 nanoparticle layer is fast and effective. The temperature increases quickly from 30 °C to 80 °C within 200 seconds. This local heating can realize rapid solar-enabled evaporation which can find applications in large-scale distillation and seawater desalination. These findings actually open a pathway for applications of these newly developed plasmonic materials in the energy and environment fields.Through the excitation of plasmon resonance, the energy of plasmonic nanoparticles either reradiates through light scattering or decays into energetic electrons (absorption). The plasmon-induced absorption can greatly enhance the efficiency of solar energy harvesting, local heating, photodetection and photocatalysis. Here, we demonstrate that heavily self-doped titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO1.67 analogue arising from oxygen vacancies in rutile TiO2) with the plasmon resonance dominated by an interband transition shows strong absorption to build a broadband perfect absorber in the wavelength range from 300 to

Full Text Available The results of studies of the effectiveness of the radiation method for control the characteristics of the IGBT transistors are shown. Experimental results on the effect of irradiation with high-energy electrons with an energy of 6 MeV for dynamic and static parameters of the IGBT transistors of company International Rectifier IRGB14C40L are discussed.

We verify that the van der Waals interaction and hence all dispersion interactions for the hydrogen molecule given by: W''= -{A/R^6}-{B/R^8}-{C/R^10}- ..., in which R is the internuclear separation, are exactly soluble. The constants A=6.4990267..., B=124.3990835 ... and C=1135.2140398... (in Hartree units) first obtained approximately by Pauling and Beach (PB) [1] using a linear variational method, can be shown to be obtainable to any desired accuracy via our exact solution. In addition we shall show that a localenergy density functional can be obtained, whose variational solution rederives the exact solution for this problem. This demonstrates explicitly that a static local density functional theory exists for this system. We conclude with remarks about generalising the method to other hydrogenic systems and also to helium.

The rheological properties of granular matter submitted to torsional shear are investigated numerically by means of discrete element method. The shear cell is made of a cylinder filled by grains which are sheared by a bumpy bottom and submitted to a vertical pressure which is applied at the top. Regimes differing by their strain localization features are observed. They originate from the competition between dissipation at the sidewalls and dissipation in the bulk of the system. The effects of the (i) the applied pressure, (ii) sidewall friction, and (iii) angular velocity are investigated. A model, based on the purely local μ (I) -rheology and a minimum energy principle is able to capture the effect of the two former quantities but unable to account the effect of the latter. Although, an ad hoc modification of the model allows to reproduce all the numerical results, our results point out the need for an alternative rheology.

This paper proposes a novel indoor localization method using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The multipath and non-line-of-sight errors from low-power wireless localization systems commonly result in outliers, affecting the positioning accuracy. We address this problem by adaptively weighting the estimates from the IMU and BLE in our proposed cascaded Kalman filter (KF). The positioning accuracy is further improved with the Rauch-Tung-Striebel smoother. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared against that of the standard KF experimentally. The results show that the proposed algorithm can maintain high accuracy for position tracking the sensor in the presence of the outliers.

Context: Dark energy was first detected from large distances on gigaparsec scales. If it is vacuum energy (or Einstein's Λ), it should also exist in very local space. Here we discuss its measurement on megaparsec scales of the Local Group. Aims: We combine the modified Kahn-Woltjer method for the Milky Way-M 31 binary and the HST observations of the expansion flow around the Local Group in order to study in a self-consistent way and simultaneously the local density of dark energy and the dark matter mass contained within the Local Group. Methods: A theoretical model is used that accounts for the dynamical effects of dark energy on a scale of ~1 Mpc. Results: The local dark energy density is put into the range 0.8-3.7ρv (ρv is the globally measured density), and the Local Group mass lies within 3.1-5.8×1012 M⊙. The lower limit of the local dark energy density, about 4/5× the global value, is determined by the natural binding condition for the group binary and the maximal zero-gravity radius. The near coincidence of two values measured with independent methods on scales differing by ~1000 times is remarkable. The mass ~4×1012 M⊙ and the local dark energy density ~ρv are also consistent with the expansion flow close to the Local Group, within the standard cosmological model. Conclusions: One should take into account the dark energy in dynamical mass estimation methods for galaxy groups, including the virial theorem. Our analysis gives new strong evidence in favor of Einstein's idea of the universal antigravity described by the cosmological constant.

The goal of this work is to increase the beam transmission from the cyclotron to the patient location of ocular tumor treatment facility Optis 2 at the Paul Scherrer Institute and thus to reduce the patient treatment times. The examined options for such transmission increase were the installation of local degraders in the patient treatment room and modification of the energy selection collimator settings. The experiments have shown that an improvement of the beam transmission is possible to achieve, however on a cost of an increase in lateral or distal penumbra of the beam. The benefits and drawbacks of the examined options are discussed.

The concept of the nuclear energy center is designed to consolidate a number of electrical power reactors and/or related fuel cycle activities on a single site. Such a siting strategy would concentrate a great deal of economic activity in one area and, as a consequence, generate significant impacts on state and local governments by increasing tax bases and public service demands and by altering intergovernmental fiscal relations. This study was designed to place rough empirical measures on relevant impact variables and to highlight areas for which a need for further research was indicated.

We discuss an alternative way of prescribing the spacetime geometry associated with a non-radiating distribution of charged matter. It is based on the possibility that the electrostatic self-energy does not reside on the Coulombian field but in a matter pressure term of electromagnetic origin localized at the sources. We work out completely the well controlled spherically symmetric case, questioning the realization of Reissner-Nordstrom geometry in nature. Finally, we sketch an experiment that could distinguish between the standard and the alternative scenario.

The directional dynamics of the resonant Rayleigh scattering from a semiconductor microcavity is investigated. When optically exciting the lower polariton branch, the strong dispersion results in a directional emission on a ring. The coherent emission ring shows a reduction of its angular width...... for increasing time after excitation, giving direct evidence for the time-energy uncertainty in the dynamics of the scattering by disorder. The ring width converges with time to a finite value, a direct measure of an intrinsic momentum broadening of the polariton states localized by multiple disorder scattering....

A precision positioning system with energy efficiency is of great necessity for guaranteeing personnel safety in underground mines. The location information of the miners' should be transmitted to the control center timely and reliably; therefore, a heterogeneous network with the backbone based on high speed Industrial Ethernet is deployed. Since the mobile wireless nodes are working in an irregular tunnel, a specific wireless propagation model cannot fit all situations. In this paper, an underground localization system is designed to enable the adaptation to kinds of harsh tunnel environments, but also to reduce the energy consumption and thus prolong the lifetime of the network. Three key techniques are developed and implemented to improve the system performance, including a step counting algorithm with accelerometers, a power control algorithm and an adaptive packets scheduling scheme. The simulation study and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and the implementation.

Full Text Available A precision positioning system with energy efficiency is of great necessity for guaranteeing personnel safety in underground mines. The location information of the miners’ should be transmitted to the control center timely and reliably; therefore, a heterogeneous network with the backbone based on high speed Industrial Ethernet is deployed. Since the mobile wireless nodes are working in an irregular tunnel, a specific wireless propagation model cannot fit all situations. In this paper, an underground localization system is designed to enable the adaptation to kinds of harsh tunnel environments, but also to reduce the energy consumption and thus prolong the lifetime of the network. Three key techniques are developed and implemented to improve the system performance, including a step counting algorithm with accelerometers, a power control algorithm and an adaptive packets scheduling scheme. The simulation study and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and the implementation.

The resonant charge exchange between atoms and surfaces is described by considering a localized atomistic view of the solid within the Anderson model. The presence of a surface energy gap is treated within a simplified tight-binding model of the solid, and a proper calculation of the Hamiltonian terms based on a LCAO expansion of the solid eigenstates is performed. It is found that interference terms jointly with a surface projected gap maximum at the {Gamma} point and the Fermi level inside it, lead to hybridization widths negligible around the Fermi level. This result can explain experimental observations related to long-lived adsorbate states and anomalous neutral fractions of low energy ions in alkali/Cu(111) systems.

In this study, it was investigated parameters affecting energy consumption in boron removal from boron containing wastewaters prepared synthetically, via electrocoagulation method. The solution pH, initial boron concentration, dose of supporting electrolyte, current density and temperature of solution were selected as experimental parameters affecting energy consumption. The obtained experimental results showed that boron removal efficiency reached up to 99% under optimum conditions, in which solution pH was 8.0, current density 6.0mA/cm{sup 2}, initial boron concentration 100mg/L and solution temperature 293K. The current density was an important parameter affecting energy consumption too. High current density applied to electrocoagulation cell increased energy consumption. Increasing solution temperature caused to decrease energy consumption that high temperature decreased potential applied under constant current density. That increasing initial boron concentration and dose of supporting electrolyte caused to increase specific conductivity of solution decreased energy consumption. As a result, it was seen that energy consumption for boron removal via electrocoagulation method could be minimized at optimum conditions. An empirical model was predicted by statistically. Experimentally obtained values were fitted with values predicted from empirical model being as following;[ECB]=7.6x10{sup 6}x[OH]{sup 0.11}x[CD]{sup 0.62}x[IBC]{sup -0.57}x[DSE]{sup -0.}= {sup 04}x[T]{sup -2.98}x[t] Unfortunately, the conditions obtained for optimum boron removal were not the conditions obtained for minimum energy consumption. It was determined that support electrolyte must be used for increase boron removal and decrease electrical energy consumption.

The spin Hamiltonian parameters and local structures are theoretically studied for Cu2+-doped alkaline earth lead zinc phosphate (RPPZ, R=Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) glasses based on the high-order perturbation calculations for a tetragonally elongated octahedral 3d9 cluster. The relative elongation ratios are found to be ρ≈3.2%, 4.4%, 4.6%, and 3.3% for R=Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, respectively, because of the Jahn-Teller effect. The whole decreasing crystal-field strength Dq and orbital reduction factor k from Mg to Sr are ascribed to the weakening electrostatic coulombic interactions and the increasing probability of productivity of nonbridge oxygen (and hence increasing Cu2+-O2- electron cloud admixtures) under PbO addition, respectively, with increasing alkali earth ionic radius. The anomalies (the largest Dq and the next highest k among the systems) for R=Ba are attributed to the cross linkage of this large cation in the network. The overall increasing order (Mg≤Bacontaining copper dopants.

A plasma sputter-type negative ion source is utilized to produce and detect negative Zr ions with energies between 150 and 450 eV via a retarding potential-type electrostatic energy analyzer. Traditional and modified semi-cylindrical Faraday cups (FC) inside the analyzer are employed to sample negative Zr ions and measure corresponding ion currents. The traditional FC registered indistinct ion current readings which are attributed to backscattering of ions and secondary electron emissions. The modified Faraday cup with biased repeller guard ring, cut out these signal distortions leaving only ringings as issues which are theoretically compensated by fitting a sigmoidal function into the data. The mean energy and energy spread are calculated using the ion current versus retarding potential data while the beam width values are determined from the data of the transverse measurement of ion current. The most energetic negative Zr ions yield tighter energy spread at 4.11 eV compared to the least energetic negative Zr ions at 4.79 eV. The smallest calculated beam width is 1.04 cm for the negative Zr ions with the highest mean energy indicating a more focused beam in contrast to the less energetic negative Zr ions due to space charge forces.

The localized operator partitioning method [Y. Khan and P. Brumer, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 194112 (2012)] rigorously defines the electronic energy on any subsystem within a molecule and gives a precise meaning to the subsystem ground and excited electronic energies, which is crucial for investigating electronic energy transfer from first principles. However, an efficient implementation of this approach has been hindered by complicated one- and two-electron integrals arising in its formulation. Using a resolution of the identity in the definition of partitioning, we reformulate the method in a computationally efficient manner that involves standard one- and two-electron integrals. We apply the developed algorithm to the 9 − ((1 − naphthyl) − methyl) − anthracene (A1N) molecule by partitioning A1N into anthracenyl and CH{sub 2} − naphthyl groups as subsystems and examine their electronic energies and populations for several excited states using configuration interaction singles method. The implemented approach shows a wide variety of different behaviors amongst the excited electronic states.

Full Text Available We propose a new active contour model which integrates a local intensity fitting (LIF energy with an auxiliary global intensity fitting (GIF energy. The LIF energy is responsible for attracting the contour toward object boundaries and is dominant near object boundaries, while the GIF energy incorporates global image information to improve the robustness to initialization of the contours. The proposed model not only can provide desirable segmentation results in the presence of intensity inhomogeneity but also allows for more flexible initialization of the contour compared to the RSF and LIF models, and we give a theoretical proof to compute a unique steady state regardless of the initialization; that is, the convergence of the zero-level line is irrespective of the initial function. This means that we can obtain the same zero-level line in the steady state, if we choose the initial function as a bounded function. In particular, our proposed model has the capability of detecting multiple objects or objects with interior holes or blurred edges.